PIONEER DAYS 



PIONEER DAYS 




COMPILED BY 

MARY H. CARMICHAEL 



ILLUSTRATED 




NEW YORK 
DUFFIELD AND COMPANY 
1917 




.CzS 



Copyright 19 17 
By DUFFIELD AND COMPANY 




MAY i I 1917 



©0. A460724 



PREFACE 



The stories of early frontier life here pre- 
sented, which are taken from the early his- 
tories of the West and from lives of the 
frontiersmen and pioneers written by con- 
temporaries and eye-witnesses, introduce the 
reader to an intimate acquaintance with the 
Indian races of the country which lies east of 
the Rocky Mountains. The savage warrior 
and hunter is presented, stripped of all the 
decorations with which writers of fiction have 
dressed him. He is seen in his ferocity and 
gentleness, in his rascality and nobility, in his 
boyhood, manhood and old age, and in his wis- 
dom and ignorance. The accuracy and truth 
of these descriptions of the life and adventures 
of the period cannot be questioned, and they 
give us a vivid and inspiring picture of the con- 
ditions under which part of our country was 
opened up for civilization. 

The busy hand of improvement has swept 
over that beautiful country, and, although it 
has not destroyed its natural beauties, or 



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PIONEER DAYS 



changed those charming features which made 
it the garden of America, it has swept away 
almost every vestige of those primitive struc- 
tures around which center so much of romance 
and thrilling interest. The humble "log 
cabin' 9 and the rude " station' ' have given 
place to the modern farm house and the thriving 
city; and where the crack of the hunter's rifle, 
the yell of the Indian, and the howl of the wild 
beast alone disturbed the Sabbath-like still- 
ness of the primeval forest, the hum of indus- 
try, the shrill whistle of the locomotive, and 
the sound of the loom and shuttle, mark the 
gigantic and rapid strides of civilization which 
has, with relentless force, driven the red man 
from his native haunts, and like some gigantic 
Colossus, with one foot on the shores of the 
Atlantic and the other upon the Pacific, ex- 
claimed, "Veni, vidi, vici." 



CONTENTS 

PAGES 



Josiah Hunt — The Indian Fighter ... i 

Maniac Defender — Story of the Border . 17 

Providential Interference 36 

Tom Higgins Rescuing His Comrade . . 51 

A Romance of Pioneer Life ..... 64 

Ham Cass and His Vow 90 

Capture and Escape of Alexander McCon- 

nell 102 

Charles Hess 116 

Captain Hubbell Defending His Boat . 129 

Pioneer Boys 143 

James Moore's Captivity 158 

Lewis Wetzel's Scout 177 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Gordon caught up an axe and declared 
that if they killed her, they should 
kill him first Frontispiece ^ 

FACING 
PAGE 

"Hold on a moment, stranger, Kill-deer has 

got a word to say to you" 10 K 

Quick as thought, both the bear and the In- 
dian were upon their feet 40 

A faint voice hailed him with "Tom, you won't 

leave me, will you?" 56 ^ 

They set up a tremendous howling, at the same 
time dancing around the prisoner and 
showing their tomahawks 1 10 v 

Hess levelled his pistol 122 

Pointing a pistol at the breast of each, he fired 136 



PIONEER DAYS 



Pioneer Days 



JOSIAH HUNT, THE INDIAN FIGHTER 

In searching among the records for the 
perfect type of that class of men who are pre- 
eminently entitled to the cognomen of " Indian 
fighters/' we have been able to find none in 
whose individuality was combined so many 
characteristics of the class as in the subject of 
the following sketch. 

Nature had given Hunt a frame of iron 
mould, and a constitution which no hard- 
ship, privation, or suffering could impair. 
Reared in the midst of those scenes of trial 
through which the early settlers were com- 
pelled to pass, to win from the wilderness a 
home and home comforts; trained from boy- 
hood to the use of the unerring rifle ; hunting 
for a subsistence in the wild forests which 
covered the western country, and eating his 
food in the simplicity which Nature gave it, 
without any of those appliances for increasing 
the relish with which epicures season it, he 



2 



PIONEER DAYS 



grew to man's estate free from any of the 
"ills that flesh is heir to," well-knit, strong, 
hardy, robust, capable of enduring any amount 
of fatigue, his senses taught by experience in 
the woods and in constant strife with the most 
subtle foe; with an eye like a hawk, a hand as 
quick as thought, and with limbs in which 
were combined great strength and agility, he 
was "every inch a man. " 

As a hunter, he was rarely equalled. His 
habits, his inclinations, his early life and his 
necessities all combined to make him expert in 
the pursuit of game. Adopting all the craft 
and cunning of the red men, to which he added 
the intelligence of the pale-face, he was always 
successful where others would have despaired. 
By constant and unremitting observation and 
practice he could imitate the voices of all the 
denizens of the forest, from the growl and bark 
of the bear, to the call of the smallest songster 
of the vale ; and these powers were of immense 
service to him in luring the game, as well as in 
deceiving an enemy. As an Indian fighter, he 
possessed all the subtlety and artifice of the foe, 
with the tact, stratagem, powers of concentra- 
tion and persevering determination of the 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER 3 



white man. No trap, however artfully and 
cunningly laid, ever caught him unprepared; 
and the Indians themselves awarded him the 
praise of being the most silent, artful, and 
dangerous enemy they ever met. 

When W ayne was despatched into the north- 
western country to chastise and bring to 
terms the various tribes who had leagued to- 
gether with a determination to restrict the 
approach of the whites to the Ohio River, he 
gathered about him all the Indian fighters, 
scouts, spies and hunters whom he could in any 
way induce to join his army. There were 
Wells, Kibby, McClellan, May, Hickman, 
Thorp, Mahaffy, the Millers, and a host of 
others, who deserve more than a passing notice 
and there was one who excelled them all — 
Josiah Hunt. 

While the army was stationed at Greenville, 
in the winter of 1793-4, Hunt was employed in 
furnishing the tables of the officers with game, 
and of course was exempted from every other 
duty. He had a carte blanche to go and come 
when he pleased, take what he wished, and 
do as he desired ; in fact, was free of the fort 
in every respect. The country was overrun 



4 



PIONEER DAYS 



with Indians; the fort was watched by scouts 
and spies, who stationed themselves in trees 
the better to overlook the garrison ; and when 
a person was seen to leave, note was taken of 
the course he pursued, his path ambuscaded, 
and his scalp secured. Hunt was too cunning 
for them, however. He invariably left after 
dark; and he used to say, "when he got 
into the woods without their knowledge, he had 
as good a chance as they had." To spend the 
night in the woods without a fire, during the 
severe cold of that winter, would have been 
almost certain death; for no human being 
could do it without the most imminent danger 
of freezing to death. To show a light, how- 
ever, was to invite certain destruction. Hunt 
did the one without fear of the other. His 
mode of procedure was as follows : He would 
leave the camp about three hours after dark, 
and, travelling by a circuitous route for some 
miles in the direction of the section where 
he intended to hunt the next day, he would 
bivouac for the night. 

His arrangements for this purpose were 
made in the following manner: With his 
tomahawk he cut a hole in the frozen earth 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER 5 



about the size and depth of a hat-crown, and 
after it was made to his liking, with as little 
noise as possible, he prepared some "roth" 
or white-oak bark, from a dead tree, which 
will retain a strong heat when covered with 
its ashes. Kindling a fire from flint and 
steel at the bottom of his "coal-pit," as he 
termed it, the bark was severed into strips, 
which were laid crosswise in the hole until it 
was filled. After it was sufficiently ignited, 
it was covered over with dirt, with the excep- 
tion of two air-holes in the margin, which 
could be opened or closed at pleasure. Spread- 
ing down a layer of bark or brush to keep him 
from the ground, he sat down with the coal- 
pit between his legs, enveloped himself in his 
blanket, and slept catdozes in an upright 
position. If his fire became too much smoth- 
ered, he freshened it by blowing into one of 
the air-holes. He declared that he could 
make himself sweat whenever he chose. The 
snapping of a dry twig was sufficient to awaken 
him, when, uncovering his head, he keenly 
scrutinized the surrounding gloom, his right 
hand on his trusty rifle, "ready for the mis- 
chance of the hour. M 



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PIONEER DAYS 



What a picture of self-reliance, bodily en- 
durance, firmness of nerve, and cool, calm 
courage is here presented ! The citizen of the 
present day, surrounded by every appliance 
of civilization and comfort, without fear of 
danger, cannot realize the situation of this 
hardy son of the forest as he sat, undis- 
tinguishable in the darkness from an old 
stump, surrounded by hordes of enemies — 
cruel, blood-thirsty and implacable enemies — 
who sought with untiring energy and increasing 
vigilance to take his life; while the wild 
beasts — the bear, the panther and the wolf — 
roamed the woods round about in search of 
prey. Alone in the wilderness, with no friend 
to aid, no arm to save him but his own, there 
he sat, that lone man, nodding in his blanket — 
while the winds of winter howled the sad 
requiem of the departed year and the pitiless 
storm raged with fury perhaps — with every 
nerve on the stretch, every faculty on the alert, 
ready at a moment's warning to engage in 
the deadly struggle for life, knowing that 
success depended upon his rifle, his own right 
hand and unerring eye. How little of this can 
we realize, as we sit about the blazing hearth- 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER 



7 



stone, sheltered from the inclemencies of the 
weather, or retire to our comfortable blanketed 
couches, free from danger, and "with none 
to make us afraid." Yet there must have 
been an excitement, an intense and thrilling 
interest in such a life, calculated to send the 
blood with electric rapidity through the veins, 
and make such a man infatuated with it. 

As soon as it was light enough to see, he 
was on his feet, and, leaving his camp-ground, 
would proceed to hunt for game, keeping, at 
the same time, a good lookout for Indians. 
If he discovered a deer, he would slip a bullet 
into his mouth, to be prepared to load again 
immediately. This was his first care — never 
to be caught with an empty rifle. After 
shooting his game, he secreted himself until 
satisfied that the report of his piece had 
brought no Indians into his immediate vicinity, 
and he would then proceed to skin it. Ap- 
proaching it cautiously, he would drag it to 
the nearest tree which answered his purpose, 
and, after leaning his rifle against a tree with- 
in reach of his hand, would commence the 
operation. He would skin for awhile, and then 
raise himself up to scan the forest in every 



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PIONEER DAYS 



direction to see if the crack of his rifle had 
brought a foe to the vicinity, and then proceed 
with his work. If the breaking of a twig or 
any other sound evinced the proximity of 
animal life, he was immediately on the alert, 
with rifle in hand, prepared for any emergency. 
Having skinned and cut up the deer, the four 
quarters were packed in the hide, which was so 
arranged as to be slung to his back like a knap- 
sack, and in this manner he wended his way to 
the fort. If he was at a distance from the 
garrison, only the hind quarters were brought 
in. On one of these excursions, he discovered 
three Indians in a party, proceeding along the 
base of a ridge on which he was. Quickly 
concealing himself, he took aim, but waited 
for two of them to get out of range, being 
willing to risk himself with the other. But 
they continued to march in Indian file, and, 
although he could have killed either one of 
them, he concluded that the odds of two to 
one would be too great, without gaining more 
than the death of one enemy; so he let them 
pass. 

When the army moved forward to the 
Maumee, for the purpose of giving battle to the 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER 



9 



Indians, Hunt was with it, and took an active 
part in the action at the 11 Fallen Timber 
In the midst of the confusion consequent upon 
the first charge, he was about to spring over a 
fallen tree, when an Indian behind it fired at 
him so close that the flash almost singed his 
face. He had been obliged to fire in such 
haste, however, that he missed his aim, 
although the ball passed between the ear and 
the head of the hunter, making his ear ring for 
an hour afterward. As soon as he fired the 
Indian sprang up, and darted off at his ut- 
most speed, running zigzag, "like the worm of 
a fence," dodging up and down, and endeav- 
oring in every way to escape the ball from his 
enemy's rifle. He knew the man he had fired 
at, and knew also that he never missed his 
mark. His body was naked from his waist 
upward, and had a bright red streak painted 
up and down the back, which afforded a prom- 
inent mark for an experienced shot. Hunt 
sprang over the tree, and threw his rifle into 
the hollow of his shoulder, exclaiming, "Hold 
on a moment, stranger, Kill-deer has got a 
word to say to you " ; and taking aim at the red 
strip, he seized the moment when the Indian 



10 



PIONEER DAYS 



was rising to his feet, and fired. Although a 
snap-shot, it was an effectual one and the red- 
skin fell dead. He had fought his last battle. 

At the treaty of Greenville, in 1795, the 
Indians seemed to consider Hunt as the next 
great man to Wayne himself. They inquired 
for him, gathered around him, and were loud 
in their praises and compliments: " Great man, 
Captain Hunt — great warrior — good hunting 
man; Indian no can kill!" They informed 
him that some of their bravest and most cun- 
ning warriors had often set out expressly to 
kill him. They knew how he made his secret 
camp-fires, the ingenuity of which excited their 
admiration. The parties in quest of him had 
often seen him — could describe the dress he 
wore, and his cap, which was made of a rac- 
coon's skin, with the tail hanging behind, the 
front turned up, and ornamented with three 
brass rings. The scalp of such a great warrior 
they considered to be an invaluable trophy; 
yet they never could catch him off his guard — 
never get within shooting distance without 
being discovered, and exposing themselves to 
his death-dealing rifle. He settled in Greene 
County, Ohio, after peace was declared, and 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER n 

became a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

The Captain Wells mentioned at the be- 
ginning of this sketch was taken prisoner when 
a child, and adopted by Big Turtle, the most 
eminent forest warrior of his time. When he 
grew up, he became, in all respects except 
color, an Indian. He took part in all their 
battles, and was at the defeat of Harmar and 
St. Clair. In the latter action he commanded 
a picked corps of Indians, who were opposed 
to the artillery, and caused much slaughter 
among the men who served it. After that 
affair, foreseeing that the whites would make 
such exertions to punish the Indians as must, 
by their preponderance of power, be success- 
ful, he left them, and soon after joined Wayne r s 
army at Greenville. His thorough acquaint- 
ance with the habits, customs, resources of the 
various tribes, made him a valuable auxiliary 
to the army, and he was placed in command of 
a chosen corps of spies, composed of intrepid 
men like himself, and was allowed to choose his 
time of coming and going, as well as to take 
whatever he wanted, even to his pick of the 
dragoon horses. Among the six or eight men 



12 



PIONEER DAYS 



who took part with him were three — Henry 
Miller, Christopher Miller and a man named 
May — who like himself, had been taken pris- 
oners when young and grown to manhood 
among the Indians. 

On one occasion, while Wayne was building 
Fort Defiance, he wished to ascertain the inten- 
tions of the enemy, and he sent Wells, with his 
corps, to bring in another prisoner. Setting off, 
dressed and painted, as usual with them, in the 
Indian fashion, they went down the Maumee 
to the Indian village, opposite to Fort Meigs. 
Riding boldly into the village, as if they had 
come from the British fort, they were readily 
taken for Indians who had come from a dis- 
tance to take part in the expected battle. 
Entering into conversation with the red men 
in their own language, they picked up consid- 
erable information, and then passed through 
the village. About half a mile therefrom they 
met an Indian and squaw returning from 
hunting, and mounted on horseback. They 
made prisoners of these, and started on the 
return to the fort. On their way they came 
upon a large encampment of warriors, who 
were merrily amusing themselves about their 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER 13 



camp-fires. Tying and gagging their pris- 
oners they rode boldly into the camp, with 
their rifles lying upon the pommels of their 
saddles. They inquired of the Indians what 
they heard of Wayne and the movements of 
his army, and how soon and where the battle 
would be fought. The Indians standing about 
Wells and his party were very communicative, 
and answered all their questions without any 
suspicion of deceit on the part of their visitors. 

At length an Indian, who was sitting at a 
distance, remarked to another in an undertone, 
and in another language, that he thought these 
visitors had mischief in their heads. Captain 
Wells overheard the remark, and gave the 
signal agreed upon. Each one fired the con- 
tents of his rifle into the body of an Indian 
at a distance of not more than six paces, and 
then, putting spurs to their horses, lay with 
their breasts down to their necks, so as to 
lessen the mark to fire at, and darted off at 
their utmost speed. The moment the Indian 
had made the remark, he and his comrades 
had risen to their feet with their rifles in their 
hands, but not before each of the spies had 
shot his man. A volley of balls followed them 



14 



PIONEER DAYS 



as they fled, one of which struck McClellan 
under the shoulder-blade, while the arm of 
Wells was broken by another, and his rifle 
dropped from his grasp. May was chased to 
the smooth rock on the Maumee River, where 
his horse falling, he was taken prisoner. The 
others escaped unhurt, and rode full speed to 
the spot where they left their captives, mounted 
them, and pushed for camp. Wells and 
McClellan, being severely wounded, and their 
progress being slow, a messenger was des- 
patched in advance for a surgeon and a guard. 
As soon as he arrived, with an account of the 
wounds and perilous situation of these faith- 
ful spies, very great sympathy was manifested. 
Wayne's feelings for the suffering soldier were 
at all times quick and sensitive. We can 
then imagine the intensity of his solicitude 
when informed of the sufferings and perils of 
this, his confidential and chosen band. He 
instantly despatched a surgeon and a company 
of his swiftest dragoons, to meet, assist, and 
guard these brave fellows to headquarters, 
where they arrived in due time, and the 
wounded soon recovered. 

May was recognized by his captives as 



THE INDIAN FIGHTER 15 



having once been an Indian and his fate was 
sealed. They told him a day or two before 
the battle, "We know you. You speak Indian 
language. You not content to live with us. 
Tomorrow we take you to that tree," point- 
ing to a very large burr-oak at the edge of the 
clearing, near the British fort, "we will tie 
you up and make a mark on your breast and 
try which Indian can shoot nearest to it. 99 
Accordingly the next day he was led forth, a 
mark made on his breast, and his body riddled 
with at least fifty bullets. This ended poor 
May. He died like a brave man, showing no 
signs of fear. 

This little band of spies, during the cam- 
paign, performed more real service than any 
other corps of equal numbers belonging to 
the army. They brought in, at different 
times, not less than twenty prisoners, and 
killed more than an equal number. As they 
had no rivals in the army, they aimed in each 
excursion to outdo their former exploits. 
What confidence, what self-possession was 
displayed by these men in their terrific en- 
counters! To ride boldly into the enemy's 
camp, in full view of their blazing camp-fires, 



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PIONEER DAYS 



and enter into conversation with them with- 
out betraying the least signs of confusion or 
trepidation, and openly commence the work 
of death, proves how well their nerves were 
steeled against fear. They had come off 
unscathed in so many desperate conflicts that 
they had become callous of danger. Captain 
Wells was killed in the massacre at Chicago 
in 1812. 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER— A STORY 
OF THE BORDER 



Seventy years ago Tennessee was disputed 
ground between the Chickasaws and Choctaws 
and many a bloody battle was fought between 
the rival nations. Among the early settlers, 
who cut down with the strong arm of labor the 
mighty giants of the forest and erected the 
first log cabins on the clearings, was one 
General James Robertson, who won for him- 
self the title of the " Father of West Tennes- 
see." He was then a middle-aged man, but 
as active and strong as he had been in his 
youth, and, by his intrepidity and strength, 
had won the respect if not the love of the 
neighboring Indians. 

In the summer of 1792 a conference was 
held upon his farm between the tribes of the 
Chickasaws and Choctaws for the purpose of 
adjusting those differences that had caused the 
effusion of so much blood. The Cherokee 
chiefs and warriors attended ostensibly with 
peaceful intentions, but, as the course of 



18 



PIONEER DAYS 



events subsequently declared, for the purpose 
of ascertaining when and where an attack 
might be successfully made. 

Timereor, one of the most noted of the Cher- 
okee warriors, was heard to mutter that " be- 
fore the leaves fell an attack would be made 
on one of the white settlements/ ' General 
Robertson heard the intimation with some 
alarm, for he knew the determined char- 
acter of the red men, and he did not know at 
what point the attack would be made. The 
settlers, however, were induced to prepare for 
the worst, and the stations were placed in as 
good a state of defence as their means would 
allow. 

Immediately on the road leading from Nash- 
ville to the encampment of the Cherokees and 
about four miles from the settlement, was 
Buchanan's station. This fort consisted of a 
few log cabins on a hill on the right bank of 
Mill Creek, rudely constructed and surrounded 
by a slender palisade. Major Buchanan, its 
brave defender, who had attended the council 
at Robertson's farm, invited several of the 
Cherokee warriors to accompany him to the 
fort. They carefully examined its situation 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 19 



and inquired closely concerning its strength 
and means of resistance, and Timereor several 
times remarked to Major Buchanan that in 
case of a surprise it could make but a feeble 
resistance. Buchanan, however, concealed 
many of the weaknesses of the station and 
particularly deceived the Indian as to its 
strength and the manner in which it was 
guarded, for his experience told him the crafty 
Indian would take every advantage. 

The warriors left the fort at nightfall and 
communicated all they had seen and heard to 
their companions and arranged the plot which 
resulted in defeat and death. Major Bu- 
chanan gave orders that a stout watch should 
be maintained for the future, that sentinels 
should be posted in the most accessible places, 
and the gates barred and locked at sundown. 
Arms and ammunition were collected in quan- 
tities, and every preparation made for a mid- 
night assault. 

July and August passed without an alarm. 
The Indians remained quietly in their encamp- 
ment without any apparent purpose of hostility, 
yet Major Buchanan did not suffer himself to 
be deceived. The sentinels performed their 



20 



PIONEER DAYS 



many duties, the gates were closed at an early 
hour, and the magazine and storehouse were 
well filled. 

On the first of September, 1792, two men, 
who had resided for years in the forest among 
the Cherokees, and well knew the artifices of 
the red men, arrived at the fort. These were 
Joseph Durant, a Frenchman by birth, and 
Dick Fendlestone, a half-breed Cherokee. 
They said it was decided to attack Buchanan's 
station about the twentieth of that month, and 
if successful to march upon the other station, 
and finally fall upon Nashville. This news 
Buchanan immediately communicated to his 
superior officer, General Robertson, who or- 
dered out the militia of the neighborhood, and, 
in obedience to his instruction, three hundred 
men well armed and equipped, marched to 
Rain's station. 

Among them was a man of bold, daring 
spirit, well acquainted with woodcraft, named 
Abraham Castleman, who was despatched as 
a spy. Castleman proceeded to Black Fox 
Camp, near the present town of Murfreesboro, 
where he discovered the fresh tracks of mocca- 
sined feet. Knowing these must be the hos- 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 21 



tile body of Indians, he returned, and confirmed 
the report of Durant and Fendlestone. But 
the time fixed by them for the plot passed, and 
the chief, a half-breed named Watts, a man 
who was distinguished for his humanity and 
magnanimity, had repeatedly assured Governor 
Blount of his peaceful intentions, and the set- 
tlers at Rain's station began to think them- 
selves mistaken, and the troops were disbanded 
and returned home. 

On the twenty-sixth of the month, how- 
ever, Major Buchanan sent out Jonathan Gee, 
Seward Clayton and Reginald Clarke, men of 
great skill in woodcraft, as spies. They pro- 
ceeded some distance, when they met a body 
of men dressed in the usual frontier fashion, 
who made signs for them to join them. The 
unsuspecting men swam a stream that divided 
them, and were met on the opposite shore by 
Watts and his braves, dressed after the fashion 
of the whites. In vain the unfortunate 
wretches threw themselves on the mercy of 
Watts. The tomahawk of Timereor and the 
chief waved brightly in the sunshine, and sank 
with terrible force on the unprotected heads 
of the unhappy prisoners, and the bleeding 



22 



PIONEER DAYS 



bodies were thrown in the blue waters of the 
river. Those at the fort remained in ignorance 
of the terrible fate of the scouts, and even 
Buchanan began to waver in his idea of in- 
tended treachery, and omitted the usual precau- 
tion of stationing sentinels upon the walls. 

The last of September was one of those beau- 
tiful days in autumn, when the mist which 
lingers about the earth increases rather than 
veils the loveliness of Nature, when the 
leaves are changing to rainbow hues, and the 
purple grape hangs in rich clusters on the 
bending vine. Upon that peaceful picture 
it seemed no stealthy savage would dare 
intrude, with death and desolation in train. 
The merry joke and laugh circulated freely, 
for the inhabitants had cast off all gloomy 
apprehensions, and every heart rejoiced in 
the beauty of the glorious autumn. Children 
passed in and out of the gate with song and 
shout, never thinking of danger. 

In one of the block houses sat two women, 
the wives of Gee and Clarke. Mrs. Gee was a 
rosy-cheeked, black-eyed woman, of perhaps 
forty, a daughter of the forest and well inured 
to the dangers of the frontier. Mary Clarke, 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 23 



the wife of a year, gentle and timid, had lived 
all her life long in a city, where danger was un- 
thought of, and border outrage a thing to be 
read of in the newspapers. Like a true wife, 
she had followed the fortunes of her young 
husband when his lot was cast among scenes 
of death and violence. 

''What is the matter, Mary? You hardly 
speak, but sit there with your eyes fixed on 
the hills as though you expected a redskin to 
jump at you. I tell you what. I don't be- 
lieve this story of Joe Durant's. The redskins 
can't be very near or Jonathan wouldn't stay 
out. He's been gone three days now, and he 
must be in to-morrow," said Mrs. Gee, a little 
anxiously, for her husband's absence was not so 
uncommon that she should be seriously alarmed. 

" Suppose they never come back, Nancy?" 

" What do you mean, Mary? Who has been 
putting such nonsense in your head?" 

"No one. Don't laugh at me, and I will 
tell you a dream I had last night." 

"A dream! What, are you fretting over a 
bad dream? You ought not to do that now." 

"I can't help it; the dream was so lifelike 
that I must believe it." 



24 



PIONEER DAYS 



"Well, what was it? Tell me about it." 

"I dreamed," said Mary Clarke, drawing 
her shawl closer about her, shuddering as she 
spoke, "1 dreamed I saw Reginald, with your 
husband and Clayton, walking along by the 
bank of a river." 

''Well there's nothing alarming in that." 

"Wait a moment. That was indeed noth- 
ing; but it seemed after awhile that other 
men came on the opposite bank, and beckoned 
them to cross. There were many of them and 
some wore moccasins of the Indians and their 
knives and tomahawks were concealed beneath 
their hunter's dress. I saw our scouts plunge 
boldly into the dark waters of the river; I saw 
them reach the opposite bank — and, 0 Nancy, 
pray Heaven it is not true — I saw them reach 
the shore, and climb up the steep bank; and 
then I heard the terrible war-whoop of the red- 
skins ring out plainly on the waters, and saw 
the terrible features of Timereor, and the half- 
breed Cherokee chief, Watts, concealed be- 
neath the cap of the hunter, and I saw the 
Indians surround their captives, singing and 
dancing with horrible glee. I saw tomahawks 
glitter in the air. I saw them fall, and heard 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 25 



the one wild cry of 'Mary' burst from Reg- 
inald's lips as he sank, all mangled and dying, 
at the feet of the chief. After the horrid work 
was done, the Indians threw the bodies into 
the river. I saw the waters close over them, 
and I awoke. But, oh! the memory of that 
dream has been with me all day. I cannot 
take any peace until Reginald returns.' ' 

"You really must not let an idle dream 
trouble you, Mary. The major does not fear 
an attack, and nobody believes Joe Durant's 
story; he is nothing but a lying Frenchman; 
and as for Dick Fendlestone, the half-breed, 
there's more red blood in his veins than in the 
chief's if I am not mistaken," returned Mrs. 
Gee, cheerfully, for she was anxious to conceal 
the impression her friend's words had made on 
her own mind. 

Poor Mary sighed. " Yes, I know I am not 
really superstitious. I have no faith in signs 
and omens, but this seems almost like a reve- 
lation." 

"Well, they must come in to-morrow. The 
major thinks they have followed up the trail to 
the encampment, and that's more than one 
day's walk from the fort." 



26 



PIONEER DAYS 



"God grant they may come!" said Mary, 
softly, as her eyes rested on the delicate work 
on her lap. 

Mrs. Gee arose and went to the door, look- 
ing out over the hills, in vain hope of seeing the 
returning scouts in the distance. Mary looked 
up with an anxious glance of inquiry, and, 
meeting no sign of affirmation, plied her needle 
in silence, while a few hot tears fell softly. 
Then she struggled bravely to turn her thoughts 
from that terrible vision that was ever before 
her eyes, and prayed silently for strength to 
bear whatever might be in store for her in the 
future. 

So the long, warm afternoon passed by; the 
sun went down in cloudless glory, with the 
promise of a lovely to-morrow, and the full 
moon climbed slowly in the radiant sky. The 
sounds of busy life grew still at last, and only 
the note of the whip-poor-will, the chirp of the 
cricket, or the hoot of the night owl, mingled 
with the plash of gliding water, and the rustle 
and quiver of the forest leaves. The stars twin- 
kled dimly in the far-off blue, and the moon- 
beams fell gently on the placid bosom of the 
sweeping river, moving onward, with scarce a 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 27 



ripple, to meet at last the mighty " Father of 
Waters." 

Winding slowly among the trees in the 
forest, their faces begrimmed with the hideous 
war-paint, and the stern resolve of the warrior 
stamped upon each swarthy feature, marched 
a body of Cherokees and Shawnees, com- 
manded by the infuriated Watts. The soldiers 
of the fort were locked in peaceful slumber, the 
sentinels removed; the path of the red men 
seemed open and easy. 

Of all that fort contained, only one, the 
widowed Mary Clarke, kept watch on that 
fated night. With her faithful Rover stretched 
at her feet, the young watcher scanned from 
her window the homeward path, which he for 
whom she looked might never travel again. 
Suddenly, in the distance where the shadows 
were deepest, she saw something moving. 
Hope whispered cheerfully in her ear of the 
gallant young scout's return, and she strained 
her eyes to their utmost to catch another 
glimpse of the objects in the distance. Soon, 
however, she perceived, instead of three, 
there were hundreds moving noiselessly around 
the base of the hill ; sometimes, when the wind 



28 



PIONEER DAYS 



moved the boughs aside, she seemed to see the 
flash of weapons in the struggling moonbeams. 
Rover, too, seemed restless, and every now and 
then he would sniff the air, and then drop his 
head into his mistress' lap with a low growl. 

Mary Clarke watched the shadows until 
they emerged into the moonlight, and she 
clearly perceived they were Indians, and in 
large force, probably seven or eight hundred, 
while the little garrison consisted of only 
twenty men, with their wives and children — 
less than fifty souls, shut up within four 
wooden walls. 

Rover, roused by the sight of the approach- 
ing danger, began barking furiously, and his 
mistress perceived that the main body stopped, 
and detached a part of their number, who 
passed on silently in the direction of the fort. 

But the noble dog had faithfully performed 
his duty. Lights flashed from loopholes and 
narrow windows, which told plainly that the 
unsuspecting garrison slept lightly, and were 
soon aroused. Mary saw two men come out 
of the block house, and, calling to them, she 
told them the cause of the sudden alarm. 
Their answer was firm and noble, and worthy 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 29 



of the pioneers of the new country: "Let the 
redskins come. We will die to a man before 
we surrender the fort to the half-breed Watts 
and his rascals," and simultaneously they dis- 
charged their muskets. The Indians returned 
the fire, happily without effect. 

The woods rang with the terrible war- 
whoop, and the little garrison was surrounded 
by the dusky warriors in their war-paint, 
and decorated with the insignia of the war- 
path. Part of the Shawnee tribe, led by their 
own chief, Mockingehock, accompanied the 
Cherokees, and, had they known the feebleness 
of the little fort, all within it had been slaugh- 
tered without mercy. The human fiends sur- 
rounded the building, climbing the palisade, 
and attempting many times to set fire to it; 
but as often as they ventured they were shot 
down by unerring marksmen, who felt that 
their own lives and the lives of their families 
depended on their intrepidity and coolness. 
Fortunately, there was an abundant supply of 
ammunition, and the soldiers lost no opportu- 
nity of using it to effect. The women, actu- 
ated by the knowledge that worse than death 
would befall them if they became prisoners, 



30 



PIONEER DAYS 



resolved to conquer. Not an instance of 
female tenderness was shown in that terrible 
hour; not a hand trembled as it pointed the 
deadly rifle; not a muscle quivered when the 
report was followed by the shriek and death- 
groan of the enemy. 

The American women of that time, born 
and bred on the frontier, accustomed to the 
horrors of Indian warfare, played their parts 
courageously. The American women of to- 
day in East Tennessee, if their wrongs and 
hardships were written, have done a noble duty. 
Against armies flushed with triumph, flaunting 
the bonny blue flag, and the red, white and 
red, against scoffs and robberies, and murder 
committed upon their own hearthstones, they 
have kept their faith in the government, certain 
there would come a time when that govern- 
ment would stretch out a powerful arm, and 
save them from the barbarities of the rebel 
hordes. All honor to the noble women of the 
Revolution — the wives and mothers of our 
heroes — who gave us this great inheritance of 
ours. But threefold honor to the suffering 
women of the rebellion, who stood true to 
the glorious old Union. 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 31 



Once a warrior sprang over the palisade, 
and applied a torch to one of the outhouses, 
which was built of light and inflammable 
wood ; as he turned to give the yell of defiance, 
the bullet of Mary Clarke was buried deep in 
his heart, and the crafty Timereor was seen to 
leap in the air, and then fall upon the torch he 
had lain down, the weight of his body smoth- 
ering the flame. 

From the first moment of the attack, Mary 
Clarke had watched for him, the monster who 
had murdered her husband. Her rifle was 
loaded for him; she had sworn vengeance on 
him alone. Her gentle, timid nature was 
turned into stone; her one wild prayer was 
that the chief should fall by her hand. 

A wild laugh burst from her lips as she be- 
held the stalwart figure of the bloodthirsty 
villain fall motionless upon the torch he car- 
ried — a laugh that was heard above the din 
without. Many an eye turned sadly upon her, 
a tear fell on many a rough, sunburnt cheek 
and many a bold, honest heart ached for her 
young life blighted in its prime. 

Nancy Gee whispered to her neighbors, tears 
standing in her dark, bright eyes: " Poor thing, 



32 



PIONEER DAYS 



poor thing! I am afraid her dream is true, 
after all. Jonathan will never come back; 
these bloody redskins have killed him." 

"I'll go and speak to her," said Lucy Forbes, 
dropping the rifle she held and walking to- 
wards the unhappy girl. "Come away, Mary", 
she said soothingly, "the Indians will shoot you 
through the loophole. Come !" And she tried 
to draw the poor creature away. 

"Let me alone!" shrieked the young wife. 
"He is coming — the greatest villain of the 
whole. He murdered Reginald. I saw him 
do it and I'll shoot him. " 

"Who is it, Mary?" 

"The Cherokee, Watts. See, there in the 
shadow under the trees is Reginald. Look! 
How bloody are his clothes and how pale his 
face is! He told me that Watts killed him and 
bade me take revenge and I will have it." 
And again the maniac's laugh rang above the 
Indian shouts and the crash of musketry — a 
laugh that every soul in the fort heard with a 
shudder, knowing but too surely what it meant. 

"He will come, ha, ha! He comes when we 
call him, Reginald and I; ha, ha, ha!" laughed 
the maniac hoarsely as the Shawnee chief, 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 33 



Mockingehock, fell, pierced through the heart, 
on the cold body of Timereor. Watts per- 
ceived the danger and started to return to his 
tribe, but Mary Clarke seized the rifle of a 
soldier near her and again the sharp crack 
sounded through the fort. The right arm of 
the Indian fell useless by his side and, raising a 
yell of discomfiture, he climbed the palings and 
rejoined his tribe. 

The face of affairs was changed. Watts, 
convinced of his mistake and severely wounded, 
called off his warriors to a hurried council, 
after a serious attack of an hour, during which 
time he had lost many of his best warriors and 
his ally, Mockingehock. The loss was never 
accurately ascertained, but at a subsequent 
meeting Watts admitted that thirty were killed, 
which was probably about half of the true 
number. In the fort, only one man, Michael 
O'Connor, an Irishman, was wounded by his 
own blunderbuss, into which he had carelessly- 
put a double charge. Sullenly the defeated 
Indians filed homeward, carrying with them 
a large quantity of corn and driving before 
them several hogs, the only booty they had 
been able to secure. 



34 



PIONEER DAYS 



By this repulse Nashville was saved and the 
Indians had received a signal check. It after- 
wards appeared that Watts had objected to the 
midnight surprise and advanced another plan — 
that of remaining in concealment near the fort 
until the gates were opened, and the gallant 
defenders off their guard and then rushing in; 
Mockingehock, on the other hand, favored the 
midnight attack, without a doubt of an easy 
contest and then marching directly to Nash- 
ville, where he expected to find rich booty. 
Fortunately, the Shawnee's plans were fol- 
lowed and he forfeited his own life as the price 
of his temerity. 

Of Mary Clarke our tale is short. When the 
gates were opened, she was the first to sally 
out and closely watched the soldiers as they 
buried the slain warriors. When Timereor's 
remains were deposited in the earth, she fled 
towards the river, crying, "I killed him, but 
the other escaped." And flinging on the 
winds that horrible maniac laugh, which froze 
the blood in the veins to hear, down the slope 
she fled, swifter than those who followed her 
could have dreamed possible. "Yes, yes, 
'twas I— I did it; ha, ha, ha, ha!" 



THE MANIAC DEFENDER 35 



Down, down with terrible speed, till she 
reached the river's brink, then, with one spring, 
she sank into the turbid waters. Strong arms 
struck out after her, but, when the faithful dog 
bore his dripping burden to the shore, life was 
extinct. 

Years of peace have followed — years that 
changed the face of Nature and brought de- 
struction and desolation to the homes of the 
red man. Now and then, away up among the 
mountains, some refugees from rebel author- 
ity, in their rude huts, screening their ruddy 
fire from observation, hear from the lips of the 
patriarch of the group the story of the Indian 
assault, but the recent march of events has 
obliterated, for the time, the memory of the 
deeds of the olden time. But the future his- 
torian, writing of the perils and sufferings of 
these devoted men, will find descendants of 
Buchanan and Robertson and of the scouts, 
Gee and Clayton, among those who perilled 
all rather than fight under the stars and bars. 



THE PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 



The following adventure of Air. Francis 
Downing presents a remarkable instance of 
the narrow escapes from impending death, 
which were of almost daily occurrence in the 
experience of the hardy and fearless pioneers 
of the Vest. 

Near the banks of Slate Creek, in Bath 
County, Kentucky, there stood, at the period 
of our story, one of those stations or forts 
which were erected by the earlier settlers of 
that section of the country, to protect them- 
selves from the savages., who, with a patri- 
otism which would have been lauded to the 
skies, had their skins been white instead of 
red. endeavored to beat back the tide of em- 
igration which was pouring from the older 
states, and threatened the integrity of their 
hunting grounds and the sanctity of their 
burial places. It consisted, as was usual 
with such erections, of a series of cabins, con- 
nected by palisades, and protected by block- 
houses at the corners, which effectually 
guarded the fort from assault by an enemy 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 37 



without artillery, and the instance was seldom 
known of such a station being captured, except 
by stratagem, treachery or famine. 

The inmates of the little fort on Slate Creek, 
although they felt comparatively safe from 
invasion, did not cease altogether their vig- 
ilance; for bitter experience had taught them, 
as it had others, that at no time was the im- 
placable hostility of the Indians more to be 
dreaded than when their presence was least 
expected. Four years had passed away since 
that fearful massacre at Blue Licks, where so 
many of the brave fighting men of Kentucky 
had lost their lives, and the expedition of 
Colonel Clarke into the Miami country had 
chastised the Indians so severely, and during 
that period no considerable force of the enemy 
had been seen within the borders of the state. 
An occasional foray would be made, however, 
by small bands of three or four warriors, who, 
after killing some exposed or venturesome 
settler, and running off his animals, would 
retreat hastily to the other side of the Ohio, 
where they would be safe from the pursuit of 
the white man. This had continued during all 
the period embraced between the years 1782 



38 



PIONEER DAYS 



and 1786; but as these incursions became less 
frequent, and the tide of immigration flowing 
in a steady stream into the State gave an 
increased confidence and boldness to the set- 
tlers, they threw off the restraint in which they 
had so long been held, and resumed, to some 
extent, their agricultural avocations. The set- 
tlement of Ohio on the north had served in a 
measure to throw a bulwark between them 
and the northern tribes, while the settlements 
of Holston and Watauga, in the present state 
of Tennessee, protected them from the Creeks 
and Cherokees on the south, and, being thus 
sheltered from invasion, it is not surprising 
that many of those brave spirits who had 
shown such contempt for danger, when sur- 
rounded by clouds of enemies on every side, 
should lay aside their caution and watchful- 
ness, and roam the woods with a freedom 
little short of temerity. 

Among other inmates of the station on 
Slate Creek was a man by the name of Yates, 
w T ho was a fair specimen of the fighting men 
of the borders. Of a wild, reckless disposi- 
tion, brave even unto rashness, with keen 
perceptive faculties, and undaunted under all 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 39 



circumstances, he was a universal favorite 
with all who knew him, for, true as the tem- 
pered steel, he was never known to desert a 
friend in distress, or reap advantage at the 
expense of another. Although not yet ar- 
rived at middle age, his experience in wood- 
craft made him an oracle to the younger men 
of the garrison, while his qualities of head and 
heart made him respected by those older than 
himself. 

One morning in August, Yates missed his 
horse from the range where he had left him 
grazing the night previous. The idea that he 
had been stolen never once entered his mind, 
but, thinking he had strayed into the forest 
which stretched to an interminable distance 
in every direction about the fort, he made 
preparations as soon as the morning meal was 
over to go in search of him. For the sake of 
company, he solicited a young man, by the 
name of Downing, to accompany him. Ready 
at all times for a tramp or a hunt, young 
Downing consented with alacrity; and, taking 
their rifles on their arms, the two sauntered 
forth into the woods. Over hills and through 
valleys, now threading their way along a 



40 



PIONEER DAYS 



of water course, anon climbing the rocky sides 
some rugged hill to gain a more extensive 
view, they sought and sought in vain for the 
lost animal, until hope of finding him failed, 
and reluctantly they turned their steps home- 
ward. 

When they had come to the conclusion to 
give up the search, at least for the present, 
they found themselves in a quiet and secluded 
valley, some six miles or more from the station. 
As this was but an hour's walk, however, they 
commenced their return, with light and cheer- 
ful hearts, little dreaming of danger or of the 
scenes they had yet to pass through before 
they reached their home. Yates, thoughtless 
and reckless, amused himself by humming the 
bars of some patriotic ditty in vogue at the 
period, occasionally breaking out into bois- 
terous song, and making the woods ring with 
his rude music, while his younger companion 
listened or commented, as the spirit moved 
him. His attention was attracted, however, 
before they proceeded far, by certain sounds 
which alarmed him; but fearing the ridicule 
of his comrade, and thinking that his ear 
should have been the first to recognize the vi- 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 41 



r cinity of a foe, he abstained from mentioning 
his fears, for he had an overweening confidence 
in the talent of the other as a scout, and cow- 
ardice at that time was a crime, little short, 
in point of obloquy, to that of murder. He 
endeavored to account for the sounds, there- 
fore, by ascribing to them natural causes; but 
still they haunted him, and he could not rid 
his mind of the impression that danger hung 
around their path. When he found that the 
noises seemed to follow them, and that his 
companion was too much absorbed in his per- 
formance to notice them, he called his atten- 
tion to them. As he had anticipated, his 
feeling of alarm was made sport of by Yates, 
who laughed at his idle fears, and told him to 
rest quiet — that "the worst thing there was 
in these yere woods was a bar or painter, " and 
"he'd just like to meet one, to take home in 
place of the horse/' which he had so confi- 
dently anticipated taking home with him. 
For a time Downing seemed content; but he 
could not but notice whichever way they 
turned, and how farsoever they proceeded, 
the ominous sounds still followed them; and 
he again called the attention of Yates, and 



42 



PIONEER DAYS 



endeavored to make him realize that their 
footsteps were dogged by some unseen enemy. 
His only answer was: 

''Pshaw, boy, you're timid; you ain't afraid 
that the redskins are after your hair, are ye? 
What valey do you set on your scalp, that 
you're so afraid of it? I'll agree to insure it 
for ye for sixpence. Wagh! I '11 wager a buck- 
skin against a coonskin there ain't an Ingen 
this side the 'Hio. If there is, I'd jest like to 
look at him along this straight-edge," slap- 
ping his rifle; "I haint had a scrimmage for so 
long I'm gittin most froze for hair. " 

Downing was not satisfied, however, by 
the bantering of his companion; and, as the 
rustling of leaves and the occasional crackling 
of a twig was heard in the rear, he determined, 
if his companion did not evince more watch- 
fulness, he would shift for himself. They 
were entering a canebrake as he had formed 
this resolution, and before they had reached 
the other side of it he had become fully satis- 
fied, in his own mind, that some wild animal 
or Indian was following their trail. As they 
emerged from the shelter of the brake, there- 
fore, and entered a wood which was thickly 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 43 



undergrown by luxuriant clumps of whortle- 
berry bushes, he seized a favorable oppor- 
tunity and, darting into the bushes, concealed 
himself, while his comrade, who was still so 
much taken up with the music of his own 
voice as not to heed his absence, continued 
on down the slope of a hill, and was soon lost 
to his view. Downing had not remained long 
in his bushy retreat before, to his unspeakable 
horror, he saw two painted warriors put aside 
the canes and look out earnestly in the direc- 
tion Yates had gone. Fearful lest they might 
have seen him dart into the bushes, he made 
up his mind to fire upon them and trust to 
his heels for safety. As they emerged into 
the open space, therefore, he raised his rifle 
to his shoulder, but before he had time to 
take aim it accidentally went off. He was 
not slow in following the example of the 
piece, and met Yates returning. The latter 
had been called to a recognition of his ab- 
sence by the report of the gun, and was run- 
ning back to ascertain the cause of his firing. 
It was unnecessary to ask the question, how- 
ever, for the enemy were in full view, and 
coming up with them at full speed. As 



44 



PIONEER DAYS 



Downing's rifle was empty — Yates' too, for 
aught we know — it was decided to run for it; 
but as Downing was by no means as rapid in 
his movements as his companion, the latter 
ran by his side, graduating his speed to that 
of the young man, refusing to save his own 
life by outstripping him. The enemy were 
rapidly overtaking them, and, as if fortune 
were against them, the white men took a path 
which curved like a bow, while the Indians, 
well acquainted with the country, took an- 
other, much nearer, which bore the same rela- 
tion to the first that the string does to the bow. 

The two paths, at the greatest distance, 
were no more than a hundred yards apart, so 
that Yates and Downing could see that the 
Indians were rapidly decreasing the distance 
which separated them, and it required the 
utmost stretch of their powers to reach the 
point of convergence in advance. They were 
successful in doing so, however, although the 
enemy were so close upon their heels that 
they momentarily expected to feel the edge 
of their tomahawks. 

Before them lay a deep and wide gully, 
which extended to some hundred yards or 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 45 



more on either side of the path and at right 
angles therewith. It was necessary to cross 
this or retrace their steps, and, as the last was 
impracticable, the two fugitives gathered all 
their energies for the effort necessary to spring 
across it. The Indians, perfectly well aware 
of this obstacle, also, made for a spot higher 
up, where it was more shallow, for the pur- 
pose of gaining ground and heading them off. 
In this they would most assuredly have suc- 
ceeded but for an accident which occurred to 
Downing, which proved to be a most for- 
tunate one, although he viewed it in a far 
different light for the moment. Yates being 
possessed of greater strength, agility and en- 
durance than his younger companion, sprang 
over the gully with ease, but Downing ex- 
hausted by the great efforts he had already 
made, came short, and striking his breast with 
considerable force upon the opposite side, 
fell back and rolled to the bottom, with the 
breath almost completely beaten out of his 
body by the force of the blow. For a moment 
the generous Yates hesitated at leaving his 
comrade in his emergency, but the sight of 
the Indians, now fast approaching to cut him 



4 6 



PIONEER DAYS 



off, and the thought that his remaining would 
only sacrifice the life of both, decided him, 
and bounding off at his utmost speed, he was 
soon again in advance of his pursuers, who, 
either not discovering the condition of Down- 
ing, or being intent on the capture of his more 
stalwart companion, followed in his trail. 
Downing had given himself up as lost when 
he fell, and doggedly remained lying at the 
bottom of the gully; but hearing the fast re- 
treating sounds of the pursuit, he recovered 
his energies, and resolved to make another 
effort for life. Fearing lest the enemy should 
see him if he left the gully at once, he walked 
along the bottom at a rapid pace, in the hope 
of finding some hiding-place where he could 
be secure from discovery until the enemy had 
departed. 

The gully, which became more shallow, how- 
ever, as he proceeded, soon quite disappeared 
in the level ground, and ceased to afford him 
shelter or protection. Knowing that the In- 
dians would return under any circumstances 
to look for him, and hoping to make a detour 
so as to avoid them, he went on; but before 
emerging from the shelter of the ditch he made 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 47 



a reconnoissance. To his surprise and horror he 
beheld one of the warriors, apparently in quest 
of his whereabouts, approaching him, and not 
more than a hundred and fifty yards from his 
retreat. With the utmost consternation, too, 
he discovered his egregious folly in not having 
reloaded his rifle while he had the opportunity 
to do so. No expert woodsman would have 
been caught in this dilemma, it being their 
first care to reload after firing, where there is 
a possibility of doing so. Indeed, the Wetzels, 
and many others, acquired skill sufficient to 
reload while running at the utmost speed, 
and this efficiency in the use of their pieces 
was the means of saving their lives on several 
occasions. Young Downing had but little 
time afforded him in which to make up his 
mind as to the course he should pursue. The 
Indian — whether he had discovered him or 
not, he did not know — was making directly 
for the spot where he was, and, since to retrace 
his steps down the gully might bring him upon 
the other one, he resolved to try his chance in 
flight. Throwing down his gun, which was 
now a useless burden, he started out upon the 
level ground and ran in a direction directly op- 



48 PIONEER DAYS 

posite to that in which his enemy was coming. 
A shrill yell announced that he was discov- 
ered, and urged him to put forth his utmost 
powers in the race. Plying his legs manfully, 
therefore, he for some little time held his own, 
but coming to a ridge which it was necessary to 
ascend his speed proved not equal to that of 
his pursuer whom, to his horror, he found was 
rapidly gaining upon him. 

As he found that the contest of speed was 
fast drawing to a close, and that a few moments 
would end it in his death, his heart sank within 
him, and he was on the point of giving over 
and yielding himself to the tomahawk, when 
he discovered an immense poplar tree, which 
had been blown up by the roots and lay at an 
angle with the course he was pursuing. Dart- 
ing around the head of it, he ran along one 
side towards the roots, which, with the inter- 
stices between them filled with soil that had 
adhered to them, rose high in the air, leaving 
a pit or hole of considerable dimensions, where 
they had formerly reposed. The Indian fol- 
lowed the other side of the tree, doubtless 
in the confident anticipation of intercepting 



PROVIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE 49 



Downing at the roots, but he was destined to 
meet with a reception which he little dreamed 
of, and one which seemed to show a direct 
interposition of Providence in aid of the 
young hunter, who now had nothing but some 
such interposition to depend upon for his life. 
It seems that a large she bear, in her pere- 
grinations through the forest, had made a 
temporary bed at the foot of the fallen poplar, 
in w T hich to suckle her little litter of cubs, and, 
while engaged in this interesting maternal 
office, the Indian, being first at the spot, and 
darting around the roots without due atten- 
tion to the maxim, "Look before you leap," 
sprang directly upon and stumbled over the 
hirsute group. Quick as thought both the 
bear and Indian were upon their feet, and a 
terrific battle commenced between them. The 
brute seemed determined to embrace her an- 
tagonist in one of the most affectionate hugs, 
while he, declining the honor, plied his knife 
with the utmost activity in the effort to stab 
her to the heart. It may readily be supposed 
that Downing did not wait to see the end of 
the contest, but, thankful for this providen- 



50 



PIONEER DAYS 



tial interference in his behalf, hurried off in 
the direction of the fort, where he soon ar- 
rived in safety, and found his older companion 
resting himself from the fatigue of the race he 
had had. 



TOM HIGGINS RESCUING HIS 
COMRADE 



During the war of 1812, Tom Higgins, as 
he was called by his comrades, enlisted in 
the Rangers — a company of mounted men 
organized expressly for the purpose of protect- 
ing the inhabitants of the western frontier. 
He was one of a party of twelve men, com- 
manded by Lieutenant Journey, and posted 
at Hill's station, a small stockade fort about 
three miles south of where the village of Green- 
ville, Illinois, 'now stands, and about twenty 
miles from Vandalia, neither of which towns 
were then settled, the whole country for miles 
around being nothing but a vast wilderness. 

On the 30th of August, 1814, signs of In- 
dians were seen about half a mile from the 
fort, and at night the savages were discov- 
ered prowling around, but no alarm was 
given. Early on the following morning, 
Lieutenant Journey, with a part of his men, 
started in pursuit of the Indians. Passing 
around a field of corn which adjoined the fort, 
they crossed the prairie, and had proceeded 



52 



PIONEER DAYS 



but a short distance when, in crossing a ridge 
covered with a hazel thicket, in full view of 
the fort, they fell into an ambuscade of a 
large party of Indians, numbering some sev- 
enty or eighty, who suddenly rose around 
them and fired, killed four of the party, among 
whom was Lieutenant Journey, and badly 
wounded another; the rest fled, with the ex- 
ception of Higgins. 

The morning of a sultry day was just be- 
ginning to dawn. A heavy dew had fallen the 
preceding night, and the air was still humid, 
causing the smoke from the guns to hang in 
heavy clouds over the spot; and under cover 
of these clouds the remaining companions of 
Higgins had escaped, believing that all who 
were left were dead, or that at any rate it 
would be useless to attempt to rescue them 
from such superior numbers. Tom's horse had 
fallen upon his knees several times, and be- 
lieving him to be severely wounded he dis- 
mounted; but upon examination he found he 
was only shot in the neck, and not seriously 
disabled. He still retained his hold on the bri- 
dle, and, as he now felt sure of being able to 
retreat in safety, he determined to have one 



TOM HIGGINS 



53 



more shot at the savages to avenge his com- 
rades. He looked around for a shelter, but 
could see only one small elm, for which he 
started; just at that moment the smoke lifted, 
disclosing to his view a number of Indians, who 
had not yet discovered him. One of them 
stood only a few paces from him, loading 
his gun. 

Tom instantly raised his gun to his shoulder, 
and taking aim, fired, and brought him to the 
ground. Being still concealed by the smoke, 
he reloaded his gun, mounted his horse, and 
turned to fly, when a faint voice hailed him 
with, "Tom, you won't leave me, will you?" 

On looking round to see from whom the 
voice proceeded, he discovered it to be one 
of his comrades named Burgess, who was 
wounded, lying on the ground, and unable 
to move; he instantly replied, "No, Til not 
leave you; come along, and Til take care of 
you." 

"I can't come," replied Burgess. "My leg 
is smashed all to pieces." 

Higgins sprang from his saddle, and find- 
ing his ankle bone broken took him in his arms 
and attempted to put him on his horse, tell- 



54 



PIONEER DAYS 



ing him at the same time to make the best of 
his way to the fort. But the horse taking 
fright at the same instant started off, leaving 
Tom and his wounded comrade behind. Still 
Tom's coolness and bravery did not desert him, 
and setting Burgess down he said, "Now, 
my good fellow, you must hop off on three 
legs, while I stay between you and the Indians, 
to keep them off, 99 giving him instructions, at 
the same time, to get into the highest grass, 
and keep close to the ground as possible. 

Burgess followed his advice, and escaped 
unnoticed to the fort. 

The clouds of smoke still hung thick around 
Higgins, hiding him from the enemy and as 
he plunged through it, he left it with the 
ridge and the hazel thicket between him and 
the Indians. He was retreating unobserved 
by them, and if he had taken a direct course 
towards the fort might easily have effected 
his escape. But his friend was slowly crawl- 
ing away in that direction, and the noble 
fellow, after coolly surveying the whole ground, 
saw that, if he pursued the same course, and 
should be discovered, his friend, being unable 
to defend himself, would most likely be sacri- 



TOM HIGGINS 



55 



ficed. He therefore determined to take a 
circuitous route, and by drawing attention 
to himself, he hoped he might save his friend. 
Carrying out his design, he moved stealthily 
through the bushes, intending, when he 
emerged, to run at full speed. But as he left 
the thicket he discovered a large Indian near 
him, and two others between himself and the 
fort. Tom stood coolly surveying his foes, 
and considering the best course to pursue 
under existing circumstances. Although con- 
fident in his own powers, but surrounded 
with enemies, he still considered it necessary 
to act with caution. Wishing to separate 
them, he started at full speed for a ravine not 
far off, but soon found he should be unable 
to reach it, from the effect of a wound in one of 
his legs, which until now he had scarcely no- 
ticed. The largest Indian was close upon his 
heels, and Tom turned several times to fire, 
but the Indian would stop and dance about to 
spoil his aim. Tom was aware he could not 
afford to lose a shot by firing at random. The 
other two were now fast coming up with him, 
and he found that unless he could dispose of 
the larger one he must inevitably be over- 



56 



PIONEER DAYS 



powered. He therefore stopped, determined 
to receive a fire. Facing his foe, he watched 
his eye while the Indian, raising his gun, fired; 
but Tom, cool and wary, just as he thought 
his finger touched the trigger, suddenly threw 
his side to him, and by this means probably 
saved his life; for the ball, which would other- 
wise have entered his body, was lodged in 
his thigh. 

Tom fell, but instantly rose again and ran, 
and the largest Indian, now certain of his 
prey, loaded again, and with the two others 
started in pursuit. They soon came up with 
Tom, who had again fallen, and as he rose 
they all fired, lodging three balls in his body. 
Being now weak from loss of blood and great 
exertions, he fell and rose again several times, 
when the Indians, throwing away their guns, 
rushed upon him with spears and knives, but 
upon his presenting his gun at one or the other 
of them, they fell back; until the largest, prob- 
ably thinking from Tom's reserving fire so 
long that his gun was unloaded, boldly rushed 
up to him, when Tom, with a steady aim, 
fired and shot him dead. 



TOM HIGGIXS 



57 



Almost any other man, under like circum- 
stances, with four bullets in his body, and an 
empty gun in his hands, would have given up in 
despair. But Tom Higgins had not the slight- 
est idea of it. The largest and most formidable 
of the three was now out of his way, and of the 
other two he had but little fear, having seen 
from their eyes that he was their superior in 
courage and strength. He therefore faced 
them, and began loading his rifle. They raised 
their whoop and rushed on him. In telling 
the story, Tom said : 

"They kept their distance as long as my 
rifle was loaded, but when they knew it was 
empty they were braver soldiers. " 

A fierce and bloody conflict now ensued. 
The Indians, rushing on Tom, stabbed him 
in many places; but fortunately for him, 
their spears were nothing but small green 
poles, cut hastily for the occasion, and bent 
whenever the point came in contact with 
Tom's ribs, or one of his tough muscles. 
In consequence of his continued exertions 
with his hands and rifle in warding off their 
thrusts, the wounds were not deep, but his 
chest, and indeed his whole front, was covered 



58 



PIONEER DAYS 



with gashes, the scars of which always re- 
mained, in proof of his courage and skill. 

At last one of them threw his hatchet, the 
edge of which struck Tom in the cheek, pass- 
ing through the ear, which it severed, laying 
bare his skull to the back of his head, and 
stretching him on the ground. The Indians 
rushed in, but Tom, cool as ever, was still 
enough for them, and kept them off with his 
feet and hands until he at length succeeded 
in grasping one of their spears, which, as the 
Indian attempted to withdraw, aided him to 
rise; and clubbing his rifle, he struck the 
nearest of his foes, and dashed out his brains; 
in doing which he broke the stock, leaving 
nothing in his hands but the barrel. The 
other Indian, having until now fought with 
much caution, — probably considering his char- 
acter as a warrior at stake, and that to run 
from a man badly wounded, and almost en- 
tirely disarmed, or to suffer him to escape, 
would subject him to the ridicule of his tribe 
— uttered a horrid yell, rushed on, and at- 
tempted to stab the almost exhausted soldier; 
but Tom was again too quick for him, and 
warding off the spear with one hand raised 



TOM HIGGINS 



59 



his rifle barrel with the other. The Indian, 
not being wounded, was physically much 
stronger than his adversary, but the moral 
courage of Tom was too much for him, and 
quailing beneath the fierce glance of his eagle 
eye, he began to retreat slowly towards the 
place where he had dropped his rifle. Tom, 
feeling that if the Indian recovered his rifle 
it would be a hopeless case with him, threw 
away his rifle barrel, and drawing his hunting 
knife, rushed upon him. A desperate strug- 
gle ensued, and several deep cuts were in- 
flicted, but the Indian finally succeeded in 
casting Tom from him, and ran to the spot 
where he had thrown his gun, while Tom 
searched for the gun of the other Indian; thus 
both, bleeding and almost exhausted, were 
searching for arms to commence anew the 
battle. 

The smoke that hung between them and the 
Indians had now cleared away, and some of 
them having passed the thicket were in full 
view, and seemingly there was no chance of 
escape for Tom. Nevertheless, relief was at 
hand. 

The little garrison at the fort, now num- 



6o 



PIONEER DAYS 



bering six or eight, had witnessed the whole of 
this desperate conflict. Among them was a 
Mrs. Pursley, a woman long familiar with 
deeds of daring, from having passed much of 
her time on the borders, and in association 
with the Rangers — who, seeing Tom bravely 
fighting with such odds against him, urged 
the men to go to the rescue. But they, con- 
sidering the attempt useless the Indians so 
far outnumbering them, refused to go. The 
brave woman, declaring that so fine a fellow 
as Tom should not be scalped for want of 
help, snatched a rifle out of her husband's 
hand, and jumping on a horse sallied out to 
the rescue. The men, ashamed to be out- 
done by a woman, followed at full speed to- 
wards the place of combat. An exciting 
scene ensued; the Indians at the ridge having 
just discovered Tom were rushing towards 
him, swinging their tomahawks, and yelling 
like very devils; and his companions, urging 
their horses to the utmost, were trying to 
reach him first. Tom, exhausted with the loss 
of blood, had fallen fainting to the earth, while 
his adversary, too intent on his prey to notice 
the approach of the Rangers, was searching 



TOM HIGGINS 



61 



for his rifle. The Rangers were the first on 
the ground. 

Mrs. Pursley, knowing Tom's spirit, thought 
he had thrown himself down in despair at the 
loss of his rifle and the fearful odds against 
him. She offered him the one she carried; 
but Tom was past using it for the present. 
His friends hastily lifted him up before one of 
their number, and turned to retreat just as the 
main body of the Indians came up. They 
made good their retreat, and the Indians re- 
tired without molesting them farther. 

After being carried into the fort, Tom re- 
mained insensible for several days, and for 
some time his recovery was doubtful. His 
friends extracted two of the bullets, leaving 
two in his thigh, which they were unable to 
extract, one of which continued to give him 
much pain for several years, although the 
wound was healed. At length, hearing that a 
surgeon had settled within a day's journey of 
where he was, he went to see him. The sur- 
geon told him he could extract the ball, but 
charged him the enormous sum of fifty dollars 
for the operation. This Tom considered exorbi- 
tant, and refused to give, as it was more than 



62 



PIONEER DAYS 



one half of his yearly pension. On his way 
home he thought the matter over, and con- 
cluded he could do it himself, and save the 
expense. Accordingly, on reaching home, he 
requested his wife to hand him his razor. 
The ride home had so irritated the parts, that 
the ball, which at other times could not be 
discovered, could now be felt. With the as- 
sistance of his wife, he deliberately laid open 
his thigh, until the edge of the razor touched 
the ball, and then, inserting his two thumbs 
into the gash, he, as he termed it, "flirted it 
out without costing a cent. " The other ball 
still remained in his thigh, but caused him no 
pain, except when he used violent exercise. 
He continued to be one of the best hunters in 
the country, and it still took a strong man to 
handle him. 

History nowhere records a nobler and more 
disinterested act than the one here related. 
Higgins, having the] sure means of escape 
from what would be considered by most men as 
almost hopeless peril, unhesitatingly gave it 
up to a wounded comrade, by offering his 
horse, and when that intention was defeated 
by the flight of the horse, and there was still 



TOM HIGGINS 



63 



a chance of retreat for himself, he remained 
at the hazard of his own life to protect his 
wounded friend. Were not the facts cor- 
roborated, they could hardly be believed. 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 



When Lord Selkirk attempted to form a col- 
ony at the junction of the Pembina and Red 
rivers, he sent out agents to Scotland and 
Switzerland, with flattering accounts of the 
salubrity of the climate, and the fertility of 
the soil. In consequence of these represen- 
tations several hundred were induced to emi- 
grate with their families. But they were 
doomed to severe disappointment. After sev- 
eral years of suffering and privation, the 
colony was broken up, and those who had not 
starved, or been killed by the Indians, again 
emigrated, and settled in Ohio. 

Among those who emigrated from Scotland 
was Duncan Cameron, who traced his lin- 
eage back to Sir Evan Dhu. After grad- 
uating at the University of Aberdeen, he 
married the daughter of a farmer in the neigh- 
borhood, and became a farmer himself; but 
with so little success that soon after the death 
of his wife he gave up the lease of his farm, 
and sold his stock to pay his debts. After 
settling up his affairs he found himself 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 65 



possessed of forty pounds and a beautiful 
daughter. 

At this time he had the good fortune to 
become acquainted with the Earl of Selkirk, 
who was in Scotland on business relating 
to the colony at Pembina, and at once en- 
tered into an engagement with him to super- 
intend the interests of the new colony. He 
embarked with his daughter, and in due time 
arrived at Montreal, where his situation as 
superintendent to his lordship procured him 
many attentions. 

His daughter, Flora, was at this time seven- 
teen. Her figure was slight, but symmetrical ; 
she had a clear, brilliant complexion, light hair, 
which fell in ringlets, and mild blue eyes. Of 
course, she had many admirers, among them 
McLeod, a partner in the Northwest Company, 
and William Gordon, the hero of our story. 

William Gordon was the son, by an Indian 
woman, of a half brother of the Marquis of 
Huntly. He had been educated at the Cath- 
olic Seminary in Quebec. He was tall, well 
formed, with dark, piercing eyes, and coarse, 
straight hair, high cheek bones, and an olive 
complexion, that bespoke his Indian descent. 



66 



PIONEER DAYS 



Yet he was considered eminently handsome. 
Governor Semple had introduced him to Cam- 
eron, without thinking it necessary to inform 
him of his connection with the Indians. His 
gentlemanly manners, and deference to the 
opinions of Cameron, made him a favorite 
with the old man; while his elegant person, 
polite address, and constant attention excited 
a stronger sentiment in the bosom of his daugh- 
ter. Flora had observed that his temperament 
was melancholy, that he was subject to sudden 
fits of passion, and the least appearance of 
neglect was keenly felt. This did not, how- 
ever, prevent her being as much pleased with 
him as ever. Her father looked upon the grow- 
ing intimacy with pleasure. He liked William 
Gordon, and judged from the style of his living 
he would make a suitable partner for Flora, in 
a worldly point of view, and allowed him to 
become a constant visitor to their lodgings. 

An occurrence soon took place which brought 
matters to a crisis. A sleighing party was to 
go to the mouth of the Utawas, on the ice, 
and our friends were of the party. They 
started in high spirits: Duncan Cameron, with 
Flora, taking the lead, and Gordon following. 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 67 



About two miles from the city, there was an 
airhole in the ice. Cameron was driving his 
horse about thirty yards above it, at a smart 
trot, when the ice broke, and the sleigh, with 
the old man and Flora, was swept under it by 
the current. The gentlemen all stopped their 
horses, and the ladies screamed. All stood 
aghast but Gordon. Throwing off his cloak and 
boots, he plunged into the icy water, the whole 
passed in a moment. The party watched 
the airhole below with breathless anxiety. 
They had begun to fear that all were drowned, 
when Gordon appeared, holding Cameron by 
the collar with one hand, and Flora by the hair 
with the other, both too exhausted to help 
themselves in the least. As he attempted to 
gain a foothold on the ice, it broke under him, 
and their death seemed inevitable. No one 
dared approach near enough to help them. 
Fortunately, two Canadians were crossing the 
river with a load of planks, and hastened to 
his aid. Laying the planks on the ice, one of 
them reached Gordon, now almost ready to 
sink ; yet he insisted that Flora should be the 
first saved. With little difficulty the Canadian 
drew her out upon the ice to a safe distance, 



68 



PIONEER DAYS 



and then returned and extricated the old man 
in the same manner; and last of all, Gordon 
was taken from the water, chilled and ex- 
hausted. They were all three wrapped in 
buffalo robes, and conveyed with all speed to 
the city, where medical aid was procured. 
The old man and Flora continued insensible 
until after they reached their lodgings, and for 
a time were ignorant to whom they owed their 
deliverance; but tongues were not wanting to 
inform them, and praise the gallantry of Gor- 
don. In a week they had all recovered from 
the effects of their submersion. 

In a few days Gordon made a formal pro- 
posal for the hand of Flora. Her father, before 
giving a decided answer, made more partic- 
ular inquiry of Governor Semple, the guard- 
ian of William, as to his character and con- 
nections; and when informed that he was a 
half-breed, the family pride of Cameron was 
roused, and he determined to refuse him. 
The governor endeavored to persuade the old 
man to think more favorably of it, and con- 
sent to their union. The old man was deaf 
to all reasoning on the subject. "I am a 
gentleman born, " said he. "The blood of 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 69 



Lochiel and Sir Evan Dhu runs in my veins, 
and it shall never be contaminated, with my 
consent. The boy is a good boy, and the 
Gordons are an ancient and noble race, but 
his mother is an insuperable objection. So, 
sir, it is no use to argue. I cannot consent 
to it. " 

At the interview in which this decision was 
communicated to Gordon, his indignation and 
disappointment broke through all restraint; 
a quarrel ensued, and the Scot forbade his 
daughter to hold any further intercourse with 
her lover. She could not obey. Through 
the instrumentality of a friend of Gordon's 
she had an interview with him, and pledged 
her word never to marry another; but he 
could not persuade her to elope with him. 

By the advice of Governor Semple, Gordon 
resolved to go to Assiniboin. His guardian 
thought that in that wild country, where the 
want of all luxuries of life must be severely 
felt by Cameron, he would have a better 
prospect of overcoming his objections, than 
in Montreal. He accordingly set out the 
next week for Pembina, and travelled as far 
as Fort William, on the north shore of Lake 



70 



PIONEER DAYS 



Superior. He was obliged to wear snowshoes 
the whole distance, and by the time he had 
arrived there, he was so lame he could hardly 
walk, as were all the rest of the party. He re- 
mained here until he had somewhat recovered, 
and then resumed his march, attended by two 
Canadians. 

One of them, La Verdure, he found was of 
a brutal, discontented disposition. They car- 
ried with them provisions enough for four 
days, relying on their rifles, and the chance 
of meeting with friendly Indians, for their 
further support. But the snow was too deep, 
and they were too much impeded by the weight 
of their snowshoes, to think of following the 
few deer they saw. For four days all went 
well enough; but on the fifth they fasted, and 
La Verdure began to grumble, at being obliged 
to follow their employer, without food. The 
sixth day passed in the same manner; they 
saw no game, not even a single prairie hen. 
Noon came on the seventh day, and they had 
neither seen an Indian nor had an opportunity 
to shoot anything. In the afternoon Gordon 
overheard La Verdure address his comrade in 
French, supposing he could not understand 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 71 



the language; but in this they were mistaken, 
as he understood it better than themselves. 

"Jussomme, " said he, "I am dying of 
hunger, and shall not be able to walk another 
day without I find something to eat/' 

"Why," said his companion, "this is not 
the first time you have fasted, I hope. I am 
hungry myself, but I could travel two days 
longer without eating. " 

"I will tell you better. There is no need 
of either of us fasting longer than to-night. 
Look at that man. " 

"Well, and what then? He has nothing 
to give us, and we cannot eat him. " 

"Why not? Sapristie! It is better that 
one should die than three. He would last 
until we could get a supply. Let us kill him 
as he sleeps. " 

"God forbid! God forbid! That were a 
mortal sin. We could never get absolution. 
I would rather die a thousand times. Villain ! 
I will inform the young man of your intentions 
unless you promise to give them up." 

"Will you so? Then take care of your- 
self. If you offer to tell him what I have said, 
I will shoot you on the spot. I do not fear 



72 



PIONEER DAYS 



but I shall be able to deal with him alone. 
I tell you though, that I neither can nor will 
live any longer without food, and, if you inter- 
fere, your blood be upon your own head." 

" It is a pity. It is a pity. He is a fine lad, 
and he has eaten less than either of us. Do as 
you please, however; it is no business of mine. 
I wash my hands of it. " 

The poor fellow sighed bitterly. He would 
have given a year's pay for an opportunity 
to speak to our hero. But La Verdure stuck 
so close to him it was impossible. Had he 
known that Gordon had understood the con- 
versation it would have saved him much 
anxiety. Gordon was reluctant to shed blood, 
and he looked anxiously for some game, that 
the necessity of taking La Verdure's life might 
be avoided; for he was resolved that he would 
not allow himself to be killed for food for such 
a ruffian. At sunset they encamped without 
having met with any game. " How far is it to 
Fort Douglass, La Verdure?" said Gordon. 

"So far that I think you will never reach 
it, " replied he. 

"I am very hungry, but I think I can hold 
out some time longer yet, " 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 73 



11 1 am hungry, too; but I shall not be to- 
morrow; at least, if you have flesh enough to 
feed me, " he added, in his own language. 

"Ha! say you so? Die, then, miscreant !" 
said Gordon, firing at him. The ball passed 
through the villain's head, and he fell back 
without a groan. This was the first time 
Gordon had shed human blood, and he had 
been too short a time in the Indian country 
to look upon it lightly. 

The next morning, although very weak, 
Gordon and his remaining companion man- 
aged to walk about two miles, when they came 
upon a camp of friendly Indians. They were 
hospitably received, and remained with them 
several days, and after leaving them reached 
the fort without further difficulty. Gordon 
was received by the deputy governor with 
much courtesy, and entertained in the best 
manner the accommodations of the fort al- 
lowed. He found some of his Hohay kindred 
encamped near the fort, and made them some 
valuable presents at the same time accepting 
an invitation to visit their village. 

On the third morning after his arrival one 
of his Hohay cousins came to him, leading a 



74 



PIONEER DAYS 



splendid horse, saddled and bridled, after the 
Indian fashion. 

1 'Come, my brother,' ' said he. "I give you 
my best horse. Mount him, and come with us. 
One of our young men has just arrived, and tells 
us the buffalo are as thick as the stars in the 
skies. Our people are going to pound them 
as soon as we return. Come with us, and see 
how your brethren live. " 

Gordon had neither forgotten his mother 
tongue nor the manner of taking the buffalo, 
and was desirous of revisiting the scenes of his 
early childhood. He took leave of McDonald, 
and left with the Hohays. After two days' 
riding they reached the village, where Gordon 
was well received by the tribe, and feasted al- 
most to suffocation. He passed the time with 
them hunting the buffalo, and joined in their 
sports, and soon became a general favorite. 

While with them some of the tribe brought 
in an Indian woman they had captured on the 
prairies, who proved to be the wife of Waw- 
nahton, their most deadly foe. When it be- 
came known in the tribe, they gathered around 
her, brandishing their knives, and crying for 
vengeance. Gordon, hearing the uproar, went 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 75 



out to learn the cause, and, when told that 
the woman was to be tortured, he determined 
to save her. Rushing into the crowd, he 
placed himself before her, and demanded her 
of the chiefs for himself. There was such a 
clamor he could not make himself heard for 
some time, but finally succeeded in restoring 
quiet, and making known his wishes. Some 
of them were disposed to listen, but one large, 
ill-favored fellow rushed up to her crying, "He 
killed my brother, and she shall die for it." 
Gordon caught up an axe, and placing him- 
self in a threatening attitude declared that if 
they killed her, they should kill him first; and 
offered, if they would give her to him, to pay 
for her when he returned to the fort. They at 
last consented, and she was given up to him. 
He returned to one of his cousins, and requested 
him to saddle his horse, and, as soon as he was 
brought, he mounted, and placing the woman 
before him, rode out on the prairie, fearing a 
change in the popular opinion. After riding 
about two miles he dismounted, and, giving 
her the horse, told her to make the best of her 
way to her own tribe, but not to fear pursuit, 
as she was mounted on the best horse in the 



7 6 



PIONEER DAYS 



camp. When he returned he was met with 
threatening looks; but he remained silent, 
and the storm soon blew over. This humane 
action afterwards proved of benefit to him ; as 
will appear before the close of the story. After 
spending a month with his red kindred, he re- 
turned to Fort Douglass, and as soon as the 
ice broke up, ascended the river to Pembina. 

In the meantime Flora had remained at 
Montreal with her father. She had lost her 
gaiety, but not her hopes, Caveny, the friend 
of Gordon, had kept her informed of his move- 
ments, and being a warm friend he lost no 
opportunity to sound his friend's praises to her 
ear. It was at this time that McLeod made 
proposals to her father for the hand of Flora, 
and was warmly approved by him and referred 
to his daughter. Flora thanked him for his 
good opinion, but declined his offer, and, when 
pressed for her reasons, frankly told him her 
heart was already given to another. 

The summer had far advanced before Gov- 
ernor Semple and Mr. Cameron had completed 
their arrangements for leaving Montreal, and 
joining the colony at Pembina. They finally 
started, but were detained on the way by the 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 77 



sickness of Cameron, and arrived at Fort Doug- 
lass late in the fall. Governor Semple was de- 
tained there by business, and Mr. Cameron 
proceeded to Pembina alone. Unwilling to 
expose his daughter to unnecessary danger, 
he left her with the governor. When he ar- 
rived at Pembina, Gordon, under the pretense 
of hunting, saddled his horse and rode to Fort 
Douglass. He was cordially received by Flora 
and his guardian. Flora, indeed, gently re- 
proved him for his visit, but upon telling her of 
the danger of the passage up the river, and 
that he could be of use to the governor, she 
made no further objection. 

The governor having completed his ar- 
rangements prepared to leave. The crops had 
been destroyed by grasshoppers, and the 
people, both at Fort Douglass and at Pem- 
bina, were suffering for the want of food. A 
small portion of the stores at the fort were 
placed on board the boat, and they moved up 
the river. On the third day, their provisions 
being likely to come short, they were all placed 
on short allowance, and some of the women 
began to suffer. Gordon gave his share to 
Flora but, instead of eating it, she gave it to 



78 



PIONEER DAYS 



a woman who was sick and scarce able to take 
care of her child. Gordon remonstrated with 
her for neglecting herself, but she replied, 
"Believe me, William, it would do me more 
harm to witness her sufferings than any hard- 
ship or privation I am likely to suffer. " 

"This is but the beginning of their misery. 
I am afraid all will suffer bitterly when winter 
sets in. If your father had shown common 
sense, you would have been exempt from it. " 

"Alas! I know his prejudices too well. 
Though you are a Gordon by the father's side, 
he cannot overcome his dislike to your Indian 
blood. For your own sake, then, seek a fairer 
and richer bride than poor Flora Cameron." 

"Would you drive me mad, Flora? Forsake 
you! May God forsake me if I do! When 
you accepted the offer of my hand, you were 
ignorant of my family, but I know that the 
discovery has not lowered me in your opinion. 
I never sought to deceive you. I thought my 
descent was as plainly stamped on my features 
as the mark on the brow of the first homicide. 
It seems I was mistaken. If your heart is 
still unchanged, why should the folly of an 
old dotard sunder us? True, he gave you 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 79 



life; but did I not save it, and his too? I 
have, therefore, as strong a claim on you as 
he. And having your plighted faith, do you 
think I will relinquish it? No, never, until 
I hear the command from your own lips! 
Seek a fairer bride, indeed! And where can 
she be found?" 

14 William, if you value my good opinion, 
do not speak again of my father as you have 
done. He is a good father to me, and it may 
be this family pride will yield to affection. 
Do not fear for me. If you wish it, I will again 
swear to you never to marry another. M 

" Forgive me, Flora, that/under a deep sense 
of wrong, I have spoken harshly of him. I 
will endeavor not to offend you again. But 
we need food for the famishing women and 
children; and, thank God, there is the track 
of a buffalo that has been to the river to drink 
within the hour. I will go ashore and try to 
bring a load of his flesh to the boat. " 

Flora tried to stop him, but he had already 
spoken to the steersman to set him ashore and 
did not hear her. As the boat touched the 
bank, he leaped ashore, and, waving his hand 
to Flora, ascended a small hillock, and looked 



8o 



PIONEER DAYS 



around for the buffalo. His practised eye 
soon discovered a solitary buffalo grazing at a 
distance. He shouldered his gun and was 
about to shoot, when a low whistle attracted 
his attention. He well understood it to be an 
Indian signal, meaning. "You are in danger; 
keep out of sight." The warning came from 
a small ravine at the foot of the hillock. He 
descended into the hollow and returned an 
answering signal. A tall, mounted Indian 
emerged from the ravine, and he recognized 
Wawnahton, the Dacotah chief whose wife 
he had rescued from the Hohays. Gordon 
had seen him since the rescue of his wife, at 
the fort at Pembina, which he had attacked 
with his band, at the instigation of McLeod. 
who had, since his rejection by Flora, pre- 
ceded her into the Indian country, and, having 
learned our hero was his rival, had planned 
the attack and offered Wawnahton large in- 
ducements to undertake it. He had accom- 
panied the savages, disguised as an Indian, 
in hopes to direct the attack in such a man- 
ner as to destroy Gordon. But the colony were 
apprised of their danger, and when they ap- 
peared before the fort they fired upon them, 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 81 



and killed three of the savages, and the rest of 
the band retreated, with the exception of Waw- 
nahton and his uncle, who in desperation 
crossed the river, and entered the fort alone, 
where they were met by Gordon, and an ami- 
cable settlement was made. 

Upon learning that Gordon was the one 
who had shown such kindness to his wife, he 
had proposed they should be kodahs (broth- 
ers), and his object now was to warn him of 
danger. "Listen!" said he, " there is a hunter 
who thirsts for your blood. It is the English- 
man — the old woman who persuaded me to 
come to Pembina. Do you see yonder?" 
pointing to a strip of wood, "he is there, and 
nineteen half-breeds with him. There were 
twenty this morning." Drawing his robe 
aside, he showed a scalp. "Keep a good 
watch to-night for they have been watching 
your boat all day. " 

"I cannot return empty to the boat," said 
Gordon. "Our women are dying of hunger; 
I must kill something, cost what it may. " 

"That is the way with you men who wear 
hats. But I have provided for that. Come, 
jump behind me. " 



82 



PIONEER DAYS 



Gordon sprang on the horse behind him, and 
half an hour's ride brought them to a clump of 
wood at a bend in the river, where the Indian 
showed him a fat cow hung in the branches, and 
told him it was for him. Gordon attempted 
to thank him, but he cut him short. "When 
your big canoe arrives," said he, "make a 
fire and eat. Then, as soon as it is dark, leave 
the camp and hide yourselves. Do not suffer 
yourselves to be surprised. I will be nigh 
you, and ten good bows shall not be wanting, 
in time of need." 

After receiving some ammunition for a pis- 
tol he carried, he rode away. When the boats 
came up, Gordon communicated his intelli- 
gence to the governor, and recommended fol- 
lowing the advice of Wawnahton, which was 
done, and they arrived at Pembina in safety. 
Mr. Cameron was very much incensed when 
he learned that Gordon had been to Fort Doug- 
lass, and had accompanied Flora up in the 
boat. But when told of the service he had 
rendered them, he became somewhat mollified. 

Governor Semple had expected to find mis- 
ery at Pembina, but the reality was far be- 
yond his expectations. The houses of the col- 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 83 



onists were of the rudest kind, and the sunken 
faces and hollow eyes of the occupants told a 
tale of famine and distress. The people 
angling, and drawing nets, and the heaps of the 
offal of fishes before the doors, showed how 
they had subsisted for a long time. The buf- 
faloes had nearly all left the prairie; and even 
when they were plenty, they had been unable 
to hunt them with success, not having been 
accustomed to it. The river soon froze over, 
and the settlers suffered severely from famine. 
Gordon took care to supply Mr. Cameron with 
the best that could be obtained, unknown to 
him. But Flora found out from whence it 
came, and would manifest her gratitude by 
her looks whenever they met, which was 
seldom. 

Governor Semple found that something 
must be done for the help of the inhabi- 
tants, or they would all perish. He therefore 
hired fifty half-breeds to hunt for them. A 
herd of buffaloes was known to be at the river 
Aux Pares, and thither the hunters were directed 
to go and encamp, and afterwards follow the 
animals in their migrations, like the Indians. 
Gordon took the command of the party. 



8 4 



PIONEER DAYS 



The governor advised the colonists to accom- 
pany the hunters to the plains. In order that 
they might be able to do so, he furnished them 
with lodges, bought of the Indians, and with 
horses and carts to transport their families 
and baggage. The procession was a curious 
one. There were upwards of a hundred rudely 
constructed carts, laden with tents, bedding, 
etc., with the women and children seated on 
the top. The females adopted the costume of 
the half-breed women, as better adapted to 
the country than their own. Cameron accom- 
panied the party; and Flora, notwithstanding 
the remonstrances of her father, resolved to 
accompany him. 

Gordon rode with the hunters, at the head 
of the procession. In two days, they reached 
the banks of the river, and encamped near 
a large herd of buffalo. The first hunt took 
place the following day. They killed one 
hundred buffaloes, and plenty reigned in the 
camp. They continued hunting, dressing the 
carcasses each day; and as fast as the meat 
was cured, it was transported to Pembina, 
until they had laid in a stock sufficient to last 
through the winter, when they made prep- 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 85 



arations to break up the camp and return. 
But a new herd of buffalo making their ap- 
pearance, they could not resist the temptation 
for one more hunt. 

In the morning of the day on which the last 
hunt was to have taken place Mr. Cameron 
walked up the river on the ice, to where the 
horses were grazing on the rushes. As he 
turned a short bend, he perceived a party of 
Indians among the horses, and turned to re- 
trace his steps. But he had been seen, and 
his retreat was cut off by two Indians. He 
shouted, to give the alarm to the camp. The 
Indians did not appear to be disposed to harm 
him, but seized him by the arms, and hurried 
him off at his utmost speed. 

His cry had been heard, and the men came 
running out to save their horses. Gordon was 
the foremost. He perceived the situation of 
Cameron, and exerted himself to overtake his 
captors. One large Indian was between him and 
them; the rest were engaged with the horses. 
Raising his rifle, he fired and killed the Indian, 
and then continued the pursuit, and reached 
a ravine twenty-five feet broad, just as they 
had reached the opposite side. One of the 



86 



PIONEER DAYS 



savages, seeing the rescue inevitable, loosened 
his hold on the old man, and drew an arrow to 
kill him. But Gordon, exerting himself to 
the utmost, cleared the chasm at one bound, 
and felled the Indian to the earth with the 
butt of his rifle. The other uttered a loud 
whoop, and, stepping back a few paces, let 
fly an arrow at Gordon. It glanced his pow- 
der-horn, and buried itself to the feather in 
the breast of Cameron. Before he had time 
to draw another, Gordon was upon him. Leap- 
ing up, he struck the Indian in the chest with 
his heels and beat him to the earth, at the same 
time receiving a deep wound in the leg from 
his knife. They grappled ; but the struggles of 
the savage were unavailing. Few men could 
have contended with Gordon at any time, but 
now he fought with tenfold energy. Seizing 
the wrist of his prostrate foe, he buried his 
knife in his breast. The whole passed in a 
moment, and the foremost of the half-breeds 
came up just as the Indian drew his last breath. 

Gordon called to one of them, named Le 
Gross, to take the old man to the camp, and 
turned to urge on the men in pursuit of the 
savages, and save the horses. Gordon's leg 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 87 



soon began to stiffen, rendering him unable 
to walk, and he was carried by the men to the 
camp. It presented a desolate appearance. 
Five women lay on the ground, tomahawked 
and scalped. Before the door of Cameron's 
tent lay Le Gross with five arrows sticking 
in his body. He, too, had lost his scalp, but 
the body of an Indian, lying a few paces from 
him, showed that he had not fallen without 
resistance. 

Cameron was lying in his tent helpless. The 
arrow had not been withdrawn, but he still 
breathed. Flora was nowhere to be found. 
Gordon was for a moment paralyzed ; but soon 
recovering, he sent Des Champs to examine 
the premises. The women, who had fled and 
concealed themselves, now appeared. They 
told him that just as Le Gross had laid the old 
man on the bed, and returned to the door of 
the tent, a party of Indians entered the camp 
from the rear, and attacked him; and when 
they had despatched him, entered the tent and 
seized Flora, carrying her off insensible. Des 
Champs now returned and reported that the 
Indians had had horses concealed in the woods, 
and that they had taken a northern course. 



88 



PIONEER DAYS 



He could do nothing himself towards rescuing 
her, neither could he prevail on any of the 
half-breeds to follow her captors. The arrow 
was extracted from the breast of Cameron, 
and the wound dressed. Meantime the tents 
had been struck; and, placing the old man in 
one cart and Gordon in another, they started 
for Pembina, w r hich they reached without 
further accident. 

For several weeks Gordon was confined to 
his room with his wounds. At the end of 
that time, a half-breed arrived from Lacon- 
travers, and from him he learned that Waw- 
nahton was encamped with his band on the 
Wild Rice River, and he determined to seek 
him, in hopes to learn something from Flora. 
He left Pembina accompanied by Des Champs 
and reached his camp in nine days. From 
Wawnahton he learned that Nopah Keon, 
with his band, was encamped about six days' 
ride from where he then was, and that he had 
a white woman in his lodge. Wawnahton 
offered to go with him, and compel him to sur- 
render her; and after being detained several 
days by a severe storm, they started, and find- 
ing him, succeeded by threats and a present 



A ROMANCE OF PIONEER LIFE 89 



of ten horses, in obtaining the release of Flora. 
It appeared that McLeod had hired Nopah 
Keon to capture Flora and deliver her to him. 
But when he appeared to claim her, the 
Indian refused to give her up, intending to 
make her his wife as soon as she recovered. 

Flora was rejoiced at seeing Gordon, and 
anxious to start immediately for Pembina. 
Wawnahton made a dog sledge for her, and fur- 
nished buffalo robes, in which she was wrapped, 
and, with thirty of his band, escorted them 
to the fort. They found her father very low 
in health and spirits; and, after hearing her 
story, he desired them to send for Lord Sel- 
kirk, at that time at the fort, and a magistrate, 
and be married at once, as he was convinced 
he could live but a short time. Flora wished 
to postpone it for a time; but he would hear 
of no delay, and the ceremony was performed. 
At the conclusion, they turned toward him, 
but he had breathed his last. A week after 
the burial of the old man, Gordon and his 
wife left Pembina for Montreal, where they 
remained till spring, and then sailed for 
Scotland to join his father, who had come into 
possession of the contested estate. 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 



John Cass was a Virginian by birth, who 
settled somewhere about the year 1790, on the 
banks of the Ohio, near Duck Creek, a few 
miles from Fort Harmer, and obtained his 
living by hunting and trapping. He brought 
with him his wife, two sons, and a niece, named 
Betsy Cass. The fever carried off his wife 
and eldest boy within a year, leaving him with 
only Hamilton, a boy of sixteen, and Betsy, 
who was four years younger. Ham was left by 
the fever in a very weak and feeble condition, 
and was for several months unable to leave the 
cabin. To help pass away the time, the doctor 
lent him books, and taught him to read, which 
in the end proved more injurious than bene- 
ficial to the young man ; as, after his health was 
restored, he could not, or would not leave his 
books, except for a short time to help Betsy 
about the cabin, or do a few " chores' ' in the 
garden; and the old man, who began to grow 
infirm, was obliged to hunt alone. 

One morning, as he was preparing to start 
for Fletcher's Island, where he had some traps, 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 91 



the old man seemed very low-spirited, and 
broke out, "If it had pleased God to spare 
James, I should not need to go alone to risk my 
old scalp among the redskins." 

At these words Ham jumped up and said, 
"Let me go with you, father. " 

"You, boy?" said the old man, in surprise. 
"No, no! That will never do; you don't take 
kindly to the woods, and it's no use forcing 
nature. No, no; stay at home, boy, and help 
Betsy." 

For the first time in his life, Ham seemed to 
feel ashamed of himself, and begged so ear- 
nestly to be allowed to go, that his father con- 
sented, still hoping he might become interested 
in the sport. They entered the canoe and 
descended the creek into the river, and in the 
first trap, which was on the mainland, they 
found a large otter, and two coons, and com- 
menced taking the skins. Ham was unused 
to the work, and before he had half finished 
his coon, had cut the pelt in so many places it 
was hardly worth finishing, and finally ended 
by cutting his hand severely. This, of course, 
put an end to his work for that day, and when 
m he had washed and bound up the wound, he 



92 



PIONEER DAYS 



sat down on the bank, and pulling a book from 
his pocket was soon lost in its contents. The 
old man, having finished his work, called three 
times before he could arouse him. He saw he 
did not like to be disturbed, and, wishing to 
please him, proposed he should stay where he 
was while he went over to the island. Ham 
caught at the words, and before the old man 
had fairly shoved off was again buried in his 
book. How long he remained thus he could 
not tell ; but he was roused by the sharp crack 
of a rifle, a loud whoop, and a scream of min- 
gled pain and fear. He looked up; the island, 
which at the nearest end was only about a hun- 
dred yards from where he sat, was covered 
with tall, rank grass, very few trees, and no 
brushwood so he could see right across it. 
Through the grass he saw his father running 
for life, pursued by a tall Indian. The old 
man gained the shore opposite where his son 
stood, the Indian close behind him. "Fire! 
fire, boy!" shouted the old man. Ham seized 
his father's rifle, which the old man had left 
behind, and fired. The ball skipped along the 
water twenty yards from its mark. The Indian 
raised a shout of triumph ; the old man gave a 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 93 



shriek of despair; still he had one chance for 
his life; he might reach the canoe, and push off 
before the savage could overtake him; he 
gained it, but the Indian was close at hand; 
one push, the light bark floated upon the 
stream ; he sprang in, grasped his paddle, but 
before it touched the water the tomahawk came 
whizzing through the air, and buried itself in 
the old man's skulL With an exulting shout 
the savage sprang upon his fallen enemy, and 
plunged his knife into his heart, and while 
Ham was trying in vain to fire the rifle, which 
he had hastily loaded, he saw the scalp torn 
from his father's head by the Indian, who again 
raised his loud warwhoop. Then, as if in 
mockery of the attempts of Ham, he tossed the 
scalp into the air, catching it as it fell, repeat- 
ing the feat again and again, shouting and 
whooping all the while, in the full enjoyment 
of gratified revenge. 

Ham stood gazing on the murderer of his 
father, as if the frightful spectacle had turned 
him into stone; and it was not until he heard 
the ramrod of the Indian ring in the barrel of 
his rifle, that he recollected his own scalp 
could only be saved by putting the high bank 



94 



PIONEER DAYS 



between the Indian and himself. He ran, 
scarcely knowing whither; chance directed 
him towards Harmer, four miles below; but 
before he had accomplished half the distance 
he met a scouting party, consisting of Bait 
Williams and two others. Ham related his 
story, though in a very incoherent manner ; but, 
by questioning him, they finally got at the 
whole story, and, entering a canoe which lay 
concealed in the creek, they returned with him. 

On their way one of the party, thinking it 
strange "Old Swift Sure" should miss fire 
drew the charge, and turning to his comrades, 
said, "Look! the old man's life has been fooled 
away by a poor sip of a boy who don't know 
enough to load a rifle. He has put in the ball 
and wadding first, and the powder on the top. " 
Ham started and looked eagerly at the charge, 
but said not a word, though his face assumed a 
calm, determined look, and he sat in the stern 
of the canoe immovable as a rock. It took but 
a short time to reach the fatal spot. The In- 
dian had gone off with the canoe, but they 
found the body of the old man on the bank, 
quite cold and dead. The ball had entered his 
side, making a bad flesh wound, from which 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 95 



he would have recovered, but the tomahawk 
had made sure work. 

They thought the sight of the body would 
make Ham crazy, but he seemed not to mind 
it, remaining cold and indifferent, and only 
spoke once, when they proposed taking the 
body to the cabin. "No, no! To the settle- 
ment, " said Ham. After holding a short con- 
sultation it was arranged that two of them 
should take the body in the canoe to the 
settlement, and send a team for Betsy, while 
Bait Williams and Ham should go to the cabin, 
and break the news to her. 

When they arrived at the cabin Williams 
told the story to Betsy. She seemed frantic 
with grief, and bitterly reproached Ham for 
his cowardice. He heard her through without 
saying a word, and then turned and left the 
cabin, and he did not again make his appear- 
ance until just as the body of his father was 
being lowered into the grave, although search 
had been made for him. He stood beside the 
grave until the service was ended, and then, 
beckoning to Bait Williams to follow him, he 
walked away towards the woods, without hav- 
ing uttered a word or shed a tear. When he 



9 6 



PIONEER DAYS 



reached his father's cabin he motioned to 
Bait to sit down, and, taking a seat beside 
him, " Bait Williams, " said he, "you are the 
only one who has not cursed me for my folly 
and wickedness in the murder of my father. 
I wall prove to you that, bad as I have been, I 
am not so bad as she called me. I am no cow- 
ard. But first show me how to load this rifle. M 
Williams took it and did as he was desired; 
Ham watched him closely, and when he had 
done asked him to fire at a mark. Williams 
showed him the sights along the barrel, and 
explained the use of them, and how to hold the 
rifle; and then, pointing to a blaze on a tree 
which stood some distance in front of the 
cabin, told him he would hit that. He fired, 
and struck the mark in the centre. "Now, M 
said Ham, "let me try," and taking the rifle 
he loaded it as well and carefully as the oldest 
hunter in the settlement could have done, and, 
raising it to his shoulder, took deliberate aim, 
holding the gun as motionless as if it had rested 
on a rock, and fired. The ball hit the centre 
of the mark. "That will do," said he, "and 
now, Williams, good-by. " Bait asked him 
where he was going, telling him he ought to 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 97 



go to the settlement and see his cousin before 
going away. 

1 ' See her ! ' ' he exclaimed. 1 1 See her ! Never ! 
She called me a coward, and said I had no 
feeling. " 

He turned into the hut. "See here, Wil- 
liams, " said he, "I have provided for a hunt " ; 
and showed him a powder horn and bullet 
pouch, well filled, a small bag of parched corn, 
and a venison ham. "But where are you 
going, and what are you going to hunt?" asked 
Williams. He looked around, with a savage 
expression, and answered: 

"Bait Williams, I am going to the woods to 
hunt revenge. You thought me a boy — an 
unfeeling idiot — who could stand by and see 
his father murdered without striking one blow 
in his defence. Now hear me" — and with his 
left hand resting on the muzzle of his rifle, and 
his right lifted towards heaven, he continued: 
"May the curse due his murderer rest on my 
soul forever, — may disease and premature 
decay waste my body, and remorse and ever- 
lasting despair prey on my spirits, my name 
be abhorred while I live, and my memory ac- 
cursed when I die, — if I have not my revenge. 



9 8 



PIONEER DAYS 



No human threshold will I cross, with no living 
being will I hold intercourse, or companion- 
ship, till my knife drinks his blood. I know 
him well ; I saw his face and figure when he did 
the murder, and this morning I marked his 
tracks upon the sand. I will hunt him to his 
death. He took my father's scalp — let him 
look to his own!" And he ground his teeth 
with rage. 

Williams tried to persuade him to remain at 
home, urging the folly of one so unused to the 
ways of the Indians, and to tracking the 
forest, undertaking to track an old warrior, 
especially at that time, when the woods were 
filled with hostile Indians. But it was of no 
avail. He caught up his bags, and, shoul- 
dering his rifle, started for the woods. Bait 
returned to the settlement, and related the 
story. All agreed that he must be insane, and 
that, unless he was brought back, he must 
inevitably perish by the hands of the Indians. 
In the morning, Bait, with several others, 
started in pursuit of him, and striking his trail 
followed it several days, but finally lost it where 
it came to a river. 

They at first thought he was pursued by the 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 



terrible, big Broadfoot, who, they found by 
the tracks in the sand where the old man was 
killed, was the murderer; but on coming to 
where they both crossed the brook, they found 
it was the reverse, and that Ham had found 
the trail of the Indian and followed it with the 
certainty of an old hunter, and was rapidly 
gaining on his enemy, when they lost his trail. 
Some of the party thought he must have either 
been killed by the Indians, and his body 
thrown into the river, or else drowned himself 
in despair. Bait Williams did not agree with 
either, but thought they must have both taken 
the river. He felt sure the Indian had, as they 
discovered the marks where a canoe had rubbed 
against a rock in the river. The party re- 
turned to the settlement, considering it useless 
to pursue them farther. Another party, of 
whom Williams was one, started a few days 
after, but were equally unsuccessful, and re- 
turned, though they regained the trail and 
followed it some distance beyond where the 
first party lost it. 

Nearly a month after the burial of the old 
man, Bait Williams was passing by his grave, 
when he discovered what he first supposed was 



100 



PIONEER DAYS 



an Indian stretched upon the grave. He 
brought his rifle to his shoulder, when the 
figure turned so as to show his face, and he at 
once recognized the features of Ham Cass. He 
could hardly believe his own eyes ; but it must 
be. The face was Ham's, although wasted 
almost to a skeleton. 

"Good heavens, Ham, are you here?" ex- 
claimed Williams. 

"Yes," he replied, rising, "I am here; here 
at my father's grave, I have come to weep. 
Yes; now I can weep, and no one will call me 
boy, or woman, or coward. Now I can mourn 
my father, for his death is avenged. "See!" 
he exclaimed, spurning something with his 
foot; "see, Bait Williams, your lesson in rifle 
shooting has not been lost on me; I have hit my 
mark" and with his foot he rolled over the 
head of an Indian, turning the face upward. 

"What have you there?" exclaimed Wil- 
liams, in astonishment. "It is impossible! 
and yet by heavens it is — the head of Broad- 
foot!" 

" ,r Tis no other," replied Ham. "I have 
hunted him day and night for a month ; he took 
me to the water, I followed him; he plunged 



HAM CASS AND HIS VOW 101 



into the woods ; still I was on his track ; he was 
surrounded by crowds of friends; I knew his 
track among a thousand ; at last he parted from 
his friends, and walked the woods alone. Then 
I met him, and there is his head, " and he gave 
it a contemptuous kick. ''They call me cow- 
ard — did he find me one? They said I dared 
not face my father's enemy — would he say so? 
They thought I had no feeling, no pity, no 
sense, no affection — ha! I have revenge, and 
that is better than all. There lies the head of 
the best warrior among the Miami tribes. 
He slew my father — my father's rifle bored 
his skull, my father's knife split his heart." 

He stood gazing at the grave a few minutes 
in silence, and then turning to Williams with 
a softened expression, said, /'Come, let us go; 
I can meet Betsy now without fear of being 
called a coward, for my father has been re- 
venged, and by my hands." He was joyfully 
received by Betsy, who had long mourned him 
as dead, bitterly reproaching herself for her 
harshness. Ham lived many years, and Broad- 
foot was not the only Indian who felt his re- 
venge. 



CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF 
ALEXANDER McCONNELL 

Alexander McConnell was one of the 
first settlers of Lexington, Kentucky, and 
celebrated for the coolness and bravery which 
he exhibited in numerous encounters with the 
Indians. One morning, in the spring of 1780, 
he went into the woods to hunt for deer, and 
had proceeded but a short distance when he 
shot a large buck. After securing it from the 
wolves, he returned to the settlement for his 
horse, on which to take home the carcass. 

During his absence a party of five Indians 
discovered the deer, and rightly judged that 
the owner would soon return for it. The 
place was in a ravine, the sides of which were 
covered with a dense growth of bushes, admi- 
rably adapted for an ambuscade. The Indi- 
ans divided themselves into two parties, and 
awaited his approach. McConnell soon ap- 
peared, riding leisurely along, unsuspicious 
of danger, until he was fired upon by the 
whole party, and his horse shot under him. 
He became entangled in the fall of the horse, 



ALEXANDER McCONNELL 103 



and, before he could extricate himself, the 
Indians rushed upon him, and made him pris- 
oner. 

His captors appeared to be a good-natured, 
merry set of fellows, and, after binding his 
wrists, commenced their retreat, which they 
continued until night, when they encamped, 
binding their prisoner in a sitting posture to 
a tree. In the morning McConnell persuaded 
them by signs to unbind his wrists; and, what 
was remarkable, they allowed him to resume 
his gun and ammunition. He accompanied 
them with apparent cheerfulness, and en- 
deavored to win their confidence still further 
by showing his dexterity in handling his rifle, 
and shooting a deer for their use. He soon so 
far won upon them that they showed consid- 
erable favor, treating him as a prisoner only 
when they encamped for the night. In this 
manner they proceeded several days, until they 
reached the banks of the Ohio, where they en- 
camped at night, as usual. 

McConnell now determined if possible to 
make his escape before crossing the river, as 
it would be much more difficult after they 
should cross, for, even should he succeed in 



104 



PIOXEER DAYS 



eluding his present captors, he would be much 
more likely to meet other parties of Indians, 
and be recaptured by them, than if he were on 
the eastern side of the river. 

Accordingly, when they commenced securing 
him, as usual, he laughed at them for binding 
him so securely, and by signs, and such words 
as he knew of their language, told them they 
were cowards; and, though live to one, dared 
not go to sleep without tying him; and. by his 
taunting manner, made them almost ashamed 
to bind him, but could not prevail upon them 
to entirely abandon their habitual cautious- 
ness. But, instead of tying him to a tree, as 
they had previously done, they bound his 
wrists together with a thong, and then made 
the other end fast to the bodies of two of their 
number, and then laid down on each side of 
him, in such a position that but a slight move- 
ment would awake them. 

McConnell laid quietly, and soon feigned 
sleep, endeavoring to form some plan of escape. 
He laid thus till near midnight, when his eye 
fell on the blade of a knife almost at his feet; 
this gave him hope, and he commenced trying 



ALEXANDER McCONXELL 105 



to reach the knife with his feet; in which he 
succeeded, and finally got it into his hands. 

Having now the means of releasing his 
hands, he was not long in using them; but 
when they were free he felt he had still a diffi- 
cult part to perform, for, should he succeed 
in escaping from them now, they would soon 
discover his escape and start in pursuit, and 
there being so many of them he could not 
hope to outstrip them all. He therefore made 
up his mind that they must all be disposed of, 
and that he had but little time to spare. Cau- 
tiously rising he walked to the guns, which 
were all stacked near the fire. He took four 
and secreted them in the bushes, where it 
would be difficult for the Indians to find them, 
and then taking the other two, one in each 
hand, he rested the muzzles on a log which 
lay about six feet from where the Indians 
were, took deliberate aim at the head of one 
and the heart of another, and fired both guns 
at the same time, killing them both instantly. 

At the report of the rifles the three remain- 
ing Indians sprang to their feet, stared wildly 
around them, at the same time making an 
involuntary movement towards the place where 



io6 



PIONEER DAYS 



the guns had been stacked, and finding them 
gone, gave a tremendous yell, and sprang 
towards the bushes. McConnell, who on dis- 
charging the guns had run to where he had 
secreted the others, was now ready for them, 
and, bringing his rifle to his shoulder, waited 
until he could bring it to bear on two of them 
at once and then fired. The first one fell 
dead; and the second one fell, and McConnell 
supposed was completely disabled. 

The remaining Indian rushed forward, with 
a yell of defiance, and before McConnell could 
throw down his rifle and seize another one, he 
was upon him, and swinging his tomahawk 
above his head, he struck a tremendous blow; 
but McConnell, cool as ever, dodged it, and 
the Indian, unable to recover from the impetus 
of the blow, fell headlong, at the same time 
losing his hold on the tomahawk. But before 
McConnell could spring upon him he had 
recovered himself, and now grappled with him 
and bore him to the ground. McConnell, 
however, soon succeeded in turning him, but 
he himself was turned again, and so equally 
matched were they that for some minutes 
they continued the struggle, neither one being 



ALEXANDER McCONNELL 107 



able to gain much advantage over the other, 
until they had rolled to the spot where the 
Indian had lost his tomahawk, when he, being 
uppermost, attempted to regain it, but McCon- 
nell at the same instant struck him a powerful 
blow with his fist, and, with a tremendous 
effort, succeeded in turning him; and, getting 
astride his body, he seized him by the throat 
with the left hand, while with the right he 
drew his knife and stabbed him in the breast, 
killing him almost instantly. 

He now thought he had succeeded in ridding 
himself of the whole party; but, upon rising, 
he felt something grasp his ankle, and looking 
around he saw the wounded Indian, who had 
crawled to the spot, and with his left hand was 
grasping the ankle, while with the right he 
held his knife. McConnell, with a sudden 
jerk, twitched away his foot, and, seizing the 
tomahawk of the dead Indian, with one blow 
sunk it into his skull. 

Having now succeeded in freeing himself 
from a situation in which most men would 
have given up in despair, he started for home, 
having first secreted the guns of the Indians, 
and furnished himself with a sufficient quan- 



io8 



PIONEER DAYS 



tity of food and ammunition. He travelled 
through the day with great caution, having, 
early in the forenoon, crossed the fresh trail 
of three Indians; and at night, on arriving at 
a clump of trees, he encamped, but dared not 
build a fire for fear of attracting attention; 
after eating the meat he had left he sat down, 
with his back to a tree, intending to secure a 
few hours' sleep, and resume his march, in 
hopes of getting out of the vicinity of the 
Indians before they should discover his trail. 

He had slept but a short time when he was 
awakened by a noise, and, listening intently, 
he heard the cracking of a small, dry twig, 
and, starting to his feet, discovered three 
Indians within a few feet of him. Having 
no time to retreat behind the tree, he raised 
his gun to his shoulder, and fired at the fore- 
most Indian, instantly killing him. But be- 
fore he could turn to escape from the others 
they had sprung upon him and pinioned him 
with their arms. He endeavored to throw 
them off, but they were too much for him, 
and, binding his arms behind his back, they 
tied him to a tree, and then, building a fire, 
cooked some of the meat he had brought with 



ALEXANDER McCONNELL 109 



him, after which they laid down with their 
feet to the fire, and went to sleep, leaving him 
to rest as best he might. 

He was again a prisoner, but was not yet 
disheartened, and still had hopes of being able 
to escape, though he feared it would be more 
difficult than before, as his present captors 
seemed disposed to confine him more securely 
than the former had done. He therefore de- 
termined to watch his opportunity, and if 
possible outwit the Indians, and yet make 
good his escape; and, that he might be pre- 
pared for whatever might happen, he composed 
himself to sleep, and, although in an unfa- 
vorable position, succeeded in obtaining a few 
hours' sleep. 

Early the next morning the Indians were 
awake, and after cooking their breakfast, a 
part of which they gave their prisoner, they 
unbound him from the tree, still leaving his 
arms bound as before, and started in the 
direction of the Ohio River, following the 
trail which McConnell had made the day 
before, and, travelling at a rapid rate arrived 
just at night at the place where his former 
captors had encamped. Upon seeing his vie- 



no 



PIONEER DAYS 



tims they set up a tremendous howling, at 
the same time dancing around the prisoner, 
and shaking their tomahawks at his head, 
until he began to fear they would despatch 
him at once. 

Whether they thought he had killed them 
alone, he could not tell, but they evidently 
thought he knew something about it, as his 
trail had led directly to the place. They, 
however, soon ceased their antics, and, tight- 
ening the cords on his arms, they again bound 
him to a tree, and digging a large hole, col- 
lected all the bodies, buried them in it, and, 
after tramping down the earth and removing 
all signs from the grave, they built a large 
fire over the place, scattering the ashes around 
so as to hide the spot as much as possible 
from their enemies. After they had finished 
their labors they again unbound their pris- 
oner, and resumed their march, and, on reach- 
ing the river, a short distance above where 
they had buried the Indians, pulled out a 
canoe concealed under the bank, embarked, 
crossed the river, and, again secreting the 
canoe, encamped for the night, feeding him 
scantily, as their provisions began to run 



ALEXANDER IMcCONNELL n i 



rather low, they having killed nothing during 
the day. In the morning one of them went 
off alone, and, after having been gone a short 
time, returned with the hind quarter of a deer 
which he had shot. After cooking what they 
could eat, and giving their prisoner as much 
as he wished, they unbound him, and com- 
menced their march for an Indian town about 
thirty miles from the river, which they reached 
just before night, not having travelled as rap- 
idly as the day before. 

Upon coming in sight of the village they 
set up a dismal howling and were soon sur- 
rounded by the inhabitants, amounting in all 
to some four or five hundred. The two Indi- 
ans then commenced talking and gesticulat- 
ing very rapidly, and were evidently telling 
the story of finding the five dead Indians; 
although McConnell did not understand their 
language, he suspected, from angry looks di- 
rected towards him, that he formed a part of 
the subject of conversation. After the two 
Indians had concluded, they approached their 
captive and unbound him, compelling him to 
strip off all his clothing. He was now satis- 
fied he would have to run the gauntlet, accord- 



112 



PIONEER DAYS 



ing to their usual custom, and from the scowling 
looks directed towards him was convinced it 
would be no child's play, but that they would 
give him rather rough usage. As soon, there- 
fore, as they had formed their lines, and given 
the word to start, he found he was not mis- 
taken, for the blows were laid on thick and 
hard; but he exerted himself to the utmost, 
and succeeded in passing through the lines 
with no more serious injury than a severe 
bruising from the clubs of the warriors. 

He was then allowed to resume his clothing, 
and was conducted to a hut standing in the 
center of the village, where he was left in 
charge of one Indian and an old squaw, who 
gave him some food, at the same time throw- 
ing down an old mat for him to sleep on, and 
then lying down herself. The Indian wrapped 
himself in his blanket and laid down before 
the door of the hut, so that it would be impos- 
sible to open it without awakening him. 

McConnell now determined to make an 
effort to escape as soon as all should be quiet 
in the village, difficulty, instead of discourage- 
ing, only making him more resolute. Be- 
side, he knew that if he remained in their 



ALEXANDER McCONNELL 113 



hands he would, most likely, have to suffer 
the most horrid torture on the following day, 
and he preferred a quick and sudden death, 
in the attempt to escape, which he was re- 
solved upon, rather than to be taken alive. 

He began to fear, however, that the Indians 
never would become still, as they kept up a 
horrid yelling and screeching until near mid- 
night. But finally they became quiet, and 
nothing could be heard outside the hut but 
the occasional screeching of an owl. But the 
old squaw manifested no disposition to sleep, 
sometimes muttering to herself, and then 
getting up to stir the fire or throw on more 
fuel. At last, about one o'clock she began to 
show signs of weariness, and soon fell into a 
deep sleep. The Indian had long been still, 
and gave every indication of being asleep. 
McConnell remained quite a little while longer, 
until he felt sure they were really asleep, and 
then commenced operations. He had previ- 
ously, in his keen glances around the room in 
search of some weapon, seen an old tomahawk 
in one corner of the hut. The hut being made 
of logs there was no hope of escape except 
through the door, and there was, consequently, 



114 



PIONEER DAYS 



no other way than to despatch his guards as 
silently as possible. 

His plans were soon laid. Possessing him- 
self of the tomahawk, he crept cautiously 
towards the old woman, and, with sure and 
steady aim, buried it in her skull; and then, 
with a tremendous leap reached the side of 
the Indian, who, however, had been awakened 
by the blow, and had partially risen, but be- 
fore he had time to make an outcry, or free 
himself from his blanket, the tomahawk again 
descended with all the force of McConnell's 
powerful arm, and, striking him fair on the 
head, he sank down without a groan. 

There was nothing to prevent his leaving 
the hut, and hastily arming himself with the 
gun and equipments of the dead Indian, and 
securing what food and ammunition he could 
conveniently carry, he rolled the dead body 
from before the door, and, looking out, found 
everything still and quiet. Cautiously creep- 
ing along in the shadow of the hut, he suc- 
ceeded in getting out of the village without 
giving an alarm. 

Directing his course towards the river, and 
proceeding at a rapid pace, he reached the 



ALEXANDER McCONNELL 115 



spot where the canoe had been concealed soon 
after sunrise, and, crossing the river, stopped 
but a short time to eat, and then pursued his 
way, and on the third day reached Lexington. 
His story was not at first believed, but subse- 
quent events proved the truth of it, and he 
was afterwards held in a sort of veneration by 
all the settlers. 



CHARLES HESS 



Among the adventurers who joined the trad- 
ing companies of the Northwest were some 
possessed of qualities that, in other situations, 
would have commanded respect and admira- 
tion. Of this number was Charles Hess. 
With a strength of body and mind seldom 
equalled, and an energy and quickness of appre- 
hension that, with the advantages of educa- 
tion, would have insured him success in any 
profession he might have chosen, circum- 
stances over which he had no control rendered 
him poor all his life. Where he originated, 
he never knew, but had a faint recollection of 
having witnessed the burning of his paternal 
roof, and the slaughter of his family by the 
Indians. After having lived many years with 
different tribes, he found himself at last on the 
Red River, and entered the service of the 
Northwest Fur Company, where his talents 
and activity soon obtained him a clerkship. 
According to the custom of the traders, he 
married a Chippewa squaw, by whom he had 
several children. 



CHARLES HESS 



117 



In the winter of 1814, while stationed at the 
Lake of the Woods, an Indian called Opawgun 
Mokkeetay, or the Black Pipe, took offence at 
him for having refused to give him as much 
liquor as he desired. Shortly after, Hess had 
occasion to go on a journey, and employed the 
Black Pipe as a guide. They travelled to- 
gether half a day without any suspicion on 
the part of Hess. As they came to a ravine, 
the Indian proposed to stop and smoke before 
crossing it, and Hess cheerfully complied. 
44 Brother, " said Black Pipe, "you have always 
been very kind to me. The other day you re- 
fused to let me make a fool of myself. You 
were right. I have a fast hold on your heart. " 

"I am glad," replied Hess, "that you are 
wise at last. But we have far to go; let us 
push on. " 

"Directly," rejoined the other, examining 
the lock and priming his gun. "Go on, 
brother; I will but tie my moccasin and then 
follow." 

Hess took up his gun and crossed the ravine. 
Just as he reached the level ground on the 
other side, he heard the report of the Indian's 
gun, and felt his side grazed by a ball. He 



Ii8 



PIONEER DAYS 



turned, and saw that Black Pipe had taken to 
his heels as soon as he had fired. Bringing 
his rifle to his shoulder, he fired, and the Indian 
fell dead. Black Pipe, to make more sure of 
his victim, had loaded his rifle with two bullets. 
But he overshot his mark; for the balls di- 
verged, one of them grazed his right side, and 
the other cut his belt in two on his left side. 

Two or three evenings after his return, a 
cousin of Black Pipe, by the name of Squibee, 
entered his roon with his gun in his hand, and 
his face painted black. He seated himself be- 
fore the fire without saying a word. Hess saw 
that he was bent on mischief, and thought it 
best to temporize. He offered him a pipe, 
which was refused. He then set before him 
a wooden platter of boiled venison; but he 
would not take it. He spoke several times to 
the savage, but no answer. Squibee sat sullen 
and immovable, his eyes turned in their sock- 
ets, though his head did not move, and he cast 
furtive and scowling glances around. The 
men belonging to the establishment, who were 
much attached to their principal, looked in; 
but when they saw the expression of the In- 



CHARLES HESS 



dian's features, they shrank back and loaded 
their guns. 

After a silence of half an hour, Hess deter- 
mined to bring matters to an issue. " Nitchee" 
(friend), said he, "what makes your heart 
sorrowful, and what do you seek in my house? " 

"My brother, Opawgun Mokkeetay, is 
dead, " replied the savage. "My eyes are dry, 
and I want something to make the tears come 
in them. " 

Hess went into his store-house and drew a 
glass of spirits, which he gave to the Indian. 
The latter held it up between his eyes and the 
light, and then threw it into the fire. It blazed 
above the chimney. 

"Why did you not drink it?" said Hess. 

" It is not good; it is no better than water, " 
replied the other. 

"It burned as if it was good," said Hess, 
still desirous to conciliate him. "I thought 
it was strong enough. I will get you some 
more." And he went out to do so. 

Squibee was evidently working himself up 
to the pitch of resolution requisite for some 
desperate action. He began to examine his 
gun, and to look uneasily about him. At one 



120 



PIONEER DAYS 



moment he seemed to relent. He wiped the 
smut from one side of his face with the corner 
of his blanket; but one of the Canadians hap- 
pening to look in, he turned away his head. 
The instant the man withdrew, he scraped 
some soot from the chimney-back, spat upon 
it, and renewed the color of his visage. He 
had scarcely finished when Hess reappeared. 
"Here, " said the trader, "is liquor that is as 
strong as fire. Drink. " 

The Indian doggedly put the glass to his 
lips, took a mouthful, and spat it out again. 
He threw the remainder into the fire, saying, 
"Neither is that good — bring more. " 

Hess turned to obey, and as he stooped to 
pass through the door heard the report of 
Squibee's gun, and saw the splinters fly from 
the timbers over his head. Without mani- 
festing any concern, he went out, and was 
asked by Menard, one of his people, "What is 
the matter? Are you hurt, mon bourgeois?" 

" I believe not, 99 he replied; "but I have had 
a narrow escape. I felt the scoundrel's bullet 
stir my cap. 99 He took it off, and saw that he 
had, indeed, been near death; the ball had 
gone through it within an inch of his skull. 



CHARLES HESS 



121 



Without uttering another word, he entered his 
store, drew a third glass of liquor, and returned 
with it -to the room where he had left the Indian. 
He offered him the glass, saying, "You have 
been at the fort at the forks of the Assiniboin 
River, and have seen the scales used to weigh 
the furs go up and down. Just so it is with 
your life. Shall I live? Shall I die? Dog!" 
he continued, his anger rising as he saw the In- 
dian's countenance did not relax its ferocious 
expression, "your life is light in the balance. 
Look at that sun; it is the last time you shall 
ever look upon it. Drink that liquor; it is the 
last you shall ever taste." 

Squibee, as ready to suffer as he had been 
to inflict suffering, took the glass, coolly emp- 
tied its contents, and drew his blanket over his 
head. Hess levelled a pistol and blew out his 
brains. 

When the Hudson Bay and Northwest Com- 
panies united, Hess with many others was 
thrown out of employment. He remained at 
Pembina, and maintained his family by hunt- 
ing, till 1822, when he was offered a situa- 
tion by the Columbian Fur Company, then 
just formed, which he accepted, and, with two 



122 



PIONEER DAYS 



horses and carts, started with his family and 
effects to go to Lac au Tr avers, and expected 
to support his family by the buffaloes he might 
shoot by the way. They had accomplished 
about half the distance without meeting any 
of the roving bands of Sioux that infested 
the prairies in the vicinity of the Red River, 
and hoped to complete the journey in like se- 
curity. One day, at noon, they had halted at 
the river Aux Ontardes, to eat dinner and give 
their horses time to feed. While they were 
eating, a drove of buffaloes came in sight, and 
Hess mounted his horse to pursue them. From 
some cause which he could not then explain, 
the herd took fright, and he followed a long 
distance before he was able to bring one down. 

For two days the family had been followed 
by an erratic band of Dacotahs, called by the 
English the People of the Pole. They were 
the Ishmaelites of the Northwest, none ever 
escaping from their hands without being plun- 
dered, unless too strong for them to meddle 
with; and few whom they plundered survived 
to tell the tale. They knew Hess by report, 
and several of them had seen him; and such 
was his character, as a warrior, that they had 



CHARLES HESS 



123 



not dared to attack him. They had, therefore, 
until now, kept out of sight; but when they 
saw him ride after the buffaloes, they had sent 
a runner to frighten the animals, in order that 
he might go too far to see or hear what was to 
take place. In this they succeeded too well. 
The principal cause for their perseverance in 
the pursuit was the fact that the wife of Hess 
was a Chippewa, to whom they were deadly 
enemies, and the blood of that hated race ran 
in the veins of his children. And, had not that 
been the case, the thirst for blood, and the 
little property in the carts — the supply of am- 
munition and tobacco they expected to find, 
and the scanty clothing and ornaments of the 
victims — would have been to them sufficient 
inducements to butcher a much larger number 
of human beings. When Hess returned at sun- 
set, faint and weary, from his successful hunt, 
a sad sight for a husband and parent met his 
view. The bodies of his wife and children 
were naked; the scalps had been torn from 
their heads, and their bodies were bristling 
with arrows. His carts were broken in pieces, 
and the horses led away. 

"I have seen," said Hess, "many a sight of 



124 



PIONEER DAYS 



blood and horror, but never before anything 
like that. For a moment my brain turned, 
and the world seemed annihilated. Had the 
Indians then come back, they might have 
taken me like a child. But other feelings soon 
arose in my breast. My blood boiled; I felt it 
flowing in my veins like molten lead. My 
voice became husky, and my palate parched. 
I was almost suffocated with rage, which was 
not at all allayed by the reflection that I could 
do nothing for vengeance. I was alone, a poor, 
weak, friendless old man. The murderers had 
at least four hours the start of me. Their 
trail I could see; but if I followed it, what 
could one, even if he were younger and stronger 
than I, have done? But this would not have 
weighed with me an instant, if my wearied 
horse could have carried me. Those only who 
have suffered such a loss, in such a manner, 
can have any idea of my feelings. 

"When I came a little to myself, I found 
that my children were not all present. There 
lay my wife, her infant nailed to her bosom 
with an arrow. There was my brave boy, his 
face turned upward, still grasping the knife he 
had drawn to defend his mother and sisters, 



CHARLES HESS 



125 



his teeth set, looking defiance, though cold and 
dead. Five of my children were there in one 
bloody pile; but my eldest daughter was gone. 
This did not console me, for I knew some bru- 
tal savage had saved her that she might become 
his wife. 

"I dug their grave with the knife I wore in 
my belt. I had no fear that the wolves would 
disturb them, for the carcasses of the buffaloes 
laid on the prairies. The work occupied me 
all night. I took one last embrace of her, who, 
although her hue was dark, had been my faith- 
ful partner through twenty years of joy and 
sorrow. With a weak and trembling hand I 
laid my family in the earth, and I swore over 
them, by God the Father Almighty, the Omnip- 
otent Maker of heaven and earth, that if any 
of those who had thus bereaved me should 
ever fall within my power, I would not spare 
them; no, not the babe unborn. " 

But when this first storm of passion was 
over, his better feelings prompted him to at- 
tempt the recovery of his daughter, rather than 
obey the dictates of revenge. Four days' 
travel carried him to Lac au Travers. On his 
arrival, he was kindly welcomed by Messrs. 



126 



PIONEER DAYS 



McKenzie, Laidlaw, and other partners of 
the Columbian Fur Company. Another trial 
awaited him. The next day he was taken ill, 
and was confined to his bed for several days. 
While he lay sick, he learned that the Indian, 
who had made his daughter a prisoner, had 
taken her to wife. The partners of the Colum- 
bian Fur Company offered him any amount 
of merchandise that might be needed for her 
ransom, and it was settled that he should go 
and demand her at the Indian camp, as soon 
as his health would permit. A messenger was 
sent to ask on what terms she might be re- 
deemed, and the answer was soon obtained. 

As force could avail him nothing, Hess 
determined to go alone, and unarmed, in 
search of his daughter. When he arrived at 
the camp, another dreadful spectacle awaited 
him. The scalps of his family were hung upon 
a pole, and the savages were dancing around 
them in triumph. He was greeted, not with 
hostility, for the hospitality of the Sioux 
nation forbade that, but with evident exulta- 
tion and insolence. Some sung the wrong 
they had done him. He presented himself be- 
fore the husband of his daughter, and, uncover- 



CHARLES HESS 



127 



ing his breast, said, "I am worthy of pity. 
This is my only child ; restore her, or strike me 
as you struck her mother. I am alone on 
earth; lo! here is a ransom." 

The features of the Indian showed some 
feeling. ''I am the only child of my father," 
he replied. "The ransom is small, but you 
are old, and need some one to make your 
clothes and moccasins, and to take care of you. 
Stay and eat with us, and then take your child 
and depart and none shall molest you. " Fear- 
ing to irritate the Indian by any sign of impa- 
tience, the heartbroken old man entered the 
lodge, and sat down with his daughter to a 
dish of boiled buffalo meat. While eating, a 
young savage who had assisted at the massacre 
of his family came in, and, holding out his bow 
and arrows to Hess, said, "I used these once 
to your sorrow. Do you know the use of 
them?" 

His anger for a moment overcame every 
motive for caution. He sprang to his feet, 
seized the weapons, and, drawing the arrow to 
the head, replied, "Stand off a little, and I will 
show you." For an instant, the life of the 
Indian was in danger. But the other inter- 



128 



PIONEER DAYS 



fered, "You are a fool," said he; "go away, 
and let the white man depart in peace. " 

Hess found his way back to Lac au Travers 
in safety; and the daughter, thus redeemed, 
was afterwards married to an Indian trader. 

Hess afterwards went to Washington with 
Major Taliaferro, as interpreter to a deputa- 
tion of Indians. Soon after his return, he 
died, and was buried on the banks of the St. 
Peter's River. 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL DEFENDING 
HIS BOAT 



Captain William Hubbell of Vermont 
emigrated with his family to what is now 
Frankfort, Kentucky, but at that time, 1790, 
was only a small frontier settlement. During 
the following year business of importance 
called him to the Eastern States, which, having 
been satisfactorily accomplished, he started on 
his return, and arrived at one of the branches 
of the Monongahela River, without accident, 
although the Indians were still troublesome, 
but more especially in the vicinity of the Ohio 
River. 

Here he procured a flat-bottomed boat, and 
in company with a Mr. Daniel Light, and 
Mr. William Plascut and his family, consisting 
of his wife and eight children, who were on 
their way to Limestone, Kentucky, proceeded 
leisurely down the river. They arrived at 
Pittsburg without having been interrupted, or 
discovering any signs of Indians. But soon 
after passing this place, they were informed 
there had been many depredations committed, 



130 



PIONEER DAYS 



and that the Indians were out in large numbers. 
They soon overtook and passed another boat, 
which had run aground, but were unable to 
render them any assistance from the rapidity 
of the current; and, passing around a short 
bend, they tied the boat to the shore, and 
waited nearly a whole day, until Captain 
Hubbell, fearing an attack from the Indians, 
and knowing they would be unable to give 
them any assistance, again commenced de- 
scending the river, keeping constant watch to 
prevent surprise. 

Before reaching the mouth of the Great 
Kanhawa River, their number was increased 
by the addition of several persons, who had 
joined them at different places on the river, 
whose names were John Stoner, Messrs. Ray, 
Tucker, and a Mr. Kilpattrick, with his two 
daughters, and an Irishman, and a Dutchman, 
whose names are not known, making in all 
twenty persons, of whom nine were men, three 
women, and eight children. 

On reaching Gallipolis, their fears were con- 
firmed by information received from a reliable 
source. They, however, resolved to continue 
their journey; and Captain Hubbell having 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL 131 



been regularly chosen to command made every 
possible preparation for a desperate defence, 
in case they were attacked. The men were 
divided into three watches of three men each, 
who were to stand watch alternately, two 
hours at a time, throughout the night. 

The arms on board consisted of a rifle and a 
knife to each man; some of them, however, 
were much out of repair. Captain Hubbell 
had, besides, a pair of large horse pistols. The 
rifles were put in the best possible condition, 
and then carefully loaded and primed, the men 
always sleeping with their arms by their sides, 
so as to be prepared at the first alarm, to take 
the posts assigned them. 

They proceeded in this manner until the 
evening of the twenty- third of March, when 
they overtook a fleet of six boats descending 
the river in company, and congratulated them- 
selves on the additional security they would 
derive from so large a force. They had, how- 
ever, been in their company but a short time 
when they became satisfied it would be more 
hazardous to remain, than to part company 
and proceed alone, as those on board the other 
boat seemed disposed to have a jolly time, 



132 



PIONEER DAYS 



drinking and dancing, without making any 
preparations for defence, in case of an attack. 
Captain Hubbell remonstrated with them, and 
tried to persuade them to leave off drinking, 
and imitate his own plans. But they only 
laughed at him, and kept on with dancing. 

Perceiving that all he could say was un- 
heeded, he got out the oars of his own boat, 
and commenced rowing down the river, so that 
if his boat were attacked he would not be taken 
unawares. The last they heard from the 
other boats they were singing and dancing, 
true to the character of the "Jolly Flat Boat- 
men, " and were probably all killed by the In- 
dians, as they were never heard from again. 
One of the boats, however, commanded by 
Captain Greathouse, followed the example of 
Captain Hubbell and for a while kept up with 
his boat, but becoming weary of rowing they 
ceased their efforts, and fell behind. 

Early in the night, Captain Hubbell, being 
on the watch, discovered a canoe slowly float- 
ing down the river, which he at once concluded 
contained Indian scouts, reconnoitering ; and, 
from signs which they observed on shore, they 
felt sure they were watched by a large party of 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL 133 



Indians, who would wait only for a favorable 
opportunity to attack them. 

The men, with the exception of the watch, 
threw themselves on the cabin floor to sleep, 
with the understanding that if the attack 
should be deferred until just before daybreak, 
as it probably would be, they would, upon the 
first alarm, all take their stations, and make as 
much show of numbers and strength as possible 
to intimidate the Indians, and show them they 
w^ere not to be taken without a desperate resist- 
ance. Captain Hubbell remained up all night, 
fearing the watch might become careless, and 
allow the savages to approach without giving 
alarm. He had, indeed, obtained but little 
sleep since leaving Pittsburg. 

Just before daylight, while the men were 
still sleeping, as the boat approached a bend in 
the river, a voice hailed them in a plaintive 
tone, and begged them to come ashore and 
take on board two white men, who had, during 
the night, escaped from the Indians, and were 
in a starving condition, without either arms or 
ammunition ; and that unless they would take 
them on board, they must either starve or be 
again taken by the Indians. 



134 



PIONEER DAYS 



Captain Hubbell was not to be so easily- 
deceived, but immediately suspected it was an 
Indian artifice to throw them off their guard; 
and, if they should near the shore, instead of 
finding white men they would be boarded by- 
Indians, and either secured as prisoners or mur- 
dered at once. He therefore called up the men, 
and got out the sweeps, without paying any 
attention to the voice on shore, which soon 
changed to insult; and but a short time after, 
they discovered three canoes filled with Indians 
rapidly approaching them. Keeping two men 
at the oars, the rest threw overboard the chairs, 
tables, and everything else that would impede 
their action, and then, telling the women and 
children to lie down on the floor of the cabin, 
they piled the trunks and other baggage around 
them, forming a sort of bulwark which would 
protect them from the balls of the Indians. 
Having made every preparation for defence, 
they determined to die rather than allow the 
women and children to fall into the hands of 
their foes. 

Captain Hubbell now called to the two men 
to cease rowing, and for all hands to take their 
guns, but not to fire until the Indians were so 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL 135 



near "that the flash of the guns would singe 
their eyebrows, " and to be careful to fire suc- 
cessively, so that there should be no interval. 
These orders had hardly been delivered when 
the canoes arrived, each containing from 
twenty-five to thirty warriors. Ranging them- 
selves, one on the bow, one at the stern, and 
another at the right hand of the boat, they 
were able to rake it in all directions. They 
then commenced firing; and at the first fire, 
Mr. Tucker was wounded in the thigh so se- 
verely that his leg hung only by the flesh, the 
bone being shattered. Mr. Light was also 
slightly wounded. 

Captain Hubbell allowed them to approach 
still nearer, and then gave the word to fire, 
which was obeyed with so much spirit and skill 
that the Indians were thrown into confusion, 
and their advance checked for a time ; but they 
soon rallied again. Captain Hubbell had fired 
his own gun, and then seizing Mr. Tucker's 
raised it to his shoulder, when a ball came and 
carried away the lock; he coolly turned and, 
seizing a brand from under the kettle which 
served as a caboose, applied it to the pan, dis- 
charging the gun, and killing his man. The 



136 



PIONEER DAYS 



firing was now pretty sharp on both sides, but 
with more effect on the Indians than on the 
party in the boat; as the sides, being made of 
thick plank, formed a sort of breastwork, while 
the Indians were fully exposed. 

At this time, Captain Hubbell being in the 
act of firing his gun was hit by a ball, which 
passed through his left arm, touching the cords, 
and causing them to contract, and for a few 
minutes completely disabling him. He had 
just recovered the use of it, when he discov- 
ered the Indians in the canoe at the bow of the 
boat just about to board her. Seizing his 
heavy horse pistols, he rushed forward with 
one in each hand just as two of them had got 
astride the side of the boat, and were prepar- 
ing to spring in. Pointing a pistol at the 
breast of each, he fired, and they both fell back- 
ward into the river. Two others had a hold of 
the sides of the boat, with their heads just in 
sight. Raising one of his pistols, he brought it 
down on the head of one, and then of the other, 
with such force as to break the skull and kill 
them instantly, making four he had killed 
in less time than it takes to relate it. Others 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL 137 



still attempting to come on boaH, he seized a 
heavy stick of wood which laid at his feet, and, 
as soon as they placed their hands on the sides 
of the boat, with a heavy blow he crushed their 
fingers, sending them back into the water, 
howling with pain. 

So desperate was his defence, they at last 
withdrew, followed by the rest of the canoes, 
and directed their course to the boat of Cap- 
tain Greathouse, which had just come in sight, 
which they boarded without resistance, those 
on board retreating to the cabin, without 
making a single effort to repel them. They 
then rowed the boat to the shore, and at once 
tomahawked Captain Greathouse, and a boy 
about fourteen years old; placing the women 
in the canoes, and recruiting their number from 
those on shore, they returned again to the at- 
tack of Captain Hubbell's boat. As they ap- 
proached, they placed the women in such a po- 
sition as to shelter themselves, and those in the 
boat were obliged to run the risk of shooting 
them, or allow the Indians to approach without 
offering any resistance. They chose the for- 
mer alternative, believing that if they were 



138 



PIOXEER DAYS 



captured themselves, it would not benefit the 
women; and if they should happen to hit their., 
it would most likely save them from a worse 
fate. 

There were now but four men on the boat 
capable of making resistance, and the captain 
himself wounded in two places, and hardly able 
to handle his rifle : but they were as resolute as 
ever, and determined never to surrender. As 
soon, therefore, as the Indians came within 
a proper distance, they fired upon them, and, 
having loaded all their rifles, they were able to 
give them a warm reception and keep up a 
constant firing by passing the guns to their 
wounded comrades as soon as they were dis- 
charged, to be again loaded; and, although 
they were only about as one to twenty, such 
was their courage and determination that the 
Indians became c aged, and again, one 
after the other, returned to the shore. Just as 
the last canoe was leaving. Captain Hubbell 
called to the Indian who was steering, and, as 
he turned round, fired at him, and with a yell 
he sprang up and fell over the side of the canoe 
into the water. They had now twice repulsed 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL 139 



the Indians, but the danger was not yet all 
over, for on turning from the canoes they found 
the boat had drifted almost on to a point of 
land, which the Indians on shore had discov- 
ered, and were rushing down upon it to the 
number of four or five hundred. 

Ray and Plascut, who were the only men on 
board who were uninjured, immediately took 
the oars, and hanging some blankets so as to 
screen them from the shore rowed out towards 
the middle of the river; the rest of the party 
threw themselves into the bottom of the boat, 
with the exception of Mr. Kilpattrick, who oc- 
cupied a position in which he could see the 
Indians on shore, and, observing one who ap- 
peared to take a more active part than the rest, 
he could not resist the temptation to fire at 
him, although warned of the danger by Cap- 
tain Hubbell, and, raising himself, he had 
hardly brought the gun to his shoulder when a 
ball struck him in the mouth, and he fell back 
dead, almost into the arms of his daughters. 

So near had the boat drifted to the point 
that, before they could get headway upon her, 
she was within twenty feet of it. The Indians 



PIONEER DAYS 



had kept up a continual firing upon them until 
they were beyond their reach. Four out of 
five of the horses which were on board were 
killed, and the oars in the hands of Ray and 
Plascut were repeatedly struck by the balls, 
but they remained uninjured. Their escape 
seems almost a miracle. 

Thus ended the conflict, two of the party 
only having been killed outright — Tucker and 
Kilpattrick — and one mortally wounded — 
Stoner — dying the next day. All, however, but 
Ray and Plascut were badly wounded.. 

The women and children escaped injury, 
with the exception of a son of Mr. Plascut, 
who, after the battle was ended, came to the 
captain and coolly asked him to cut a ball from 
his head. Captain Hubbell could not at first 
believe there was one there but upon examina- 
tion he found that a ball, which had passed 
through the side of the boat and, becoming 
nearly spent, had entered the forehead of the 
little fellow, still remained under the skin. 
Taking his knife, he easily cut it out. ''That 
is not all," said the boy, and holding up his 
arm showed a piece of bone hanging by the 



CAPTAIN HUBBELL 141 



skin from the point of his elbow, which had 
been struck by a ball, and a piece of the bone 
split off. His mother now, in a voice of sym- 
pathy, asked him why he had not spoken of it 
before. " Because, " said the little hero, "the 
captain told us to keep still during the battle, 
and I thought if I told you, you would be 
frightened, and make a noise. " 

They reached Limestone about midnight of 
the same day, where their story was hardly cred- 
ited by the inhabitants. But, upon exam- 
ining the boat, it was found that the sides were 
literally filled with bullets and bullet holes, 
there not being a space of two feet square 
above the water which had not received a shot. 
The blankets which had been used as screens 
while rowing past the point, receiving in the 
space of five feet square no less than one hun- 
dred and twenty balls; and on one of the oars 
were the marks of ten balls, and on the other 
nine, which were made while in the hands of 
Ray and Plascut. Captain Hubbell reached 
his home in Frankfort, and recovered from his 
wounds. 

The bodies of Captain Greathouse, and the 
women and children who were with him in the 



142 



PIONEER DAYS 



boat, were afterwards found near the spot 
where they were attacked ; and from the ap- 
pearance of the women and children, it was 
supposed they had been whipped to death, as 
their bodies were covered with stripes, and large 
rods were found near them, which seemed to 
have been worn out with use. 



THE PIONEER BOYS 



By the fall of the year 1793, the settlement 
known as Carpenter's Station, located a little 
distance above the mouth of Short Creek, on 
the east side of the Ohio River, in what is now 
the state of West Virginia, was in a flourishing 
condition, and numbered some thirty or forty 
families in its population. One of these fami- 
lies was named Johnson, and consisted of the 
father and mother and several children. Of 
these children, two were boys, named John and 
Henry Johnson, and aged respectively thir- 
teen and eleven years. Towards the close of 
the fall, the boys were sent one evening to 
drive home the cows, which had wandered off 
beyond the settlement. The season was that 
delightful Indian summer time, when the Ohio 
Valley puts on its richest hues of beauty, and 
when the fascination of its scenery is greater 
than at any other part of the year. The boys, 
young as they were, were keenly alive to the 
beauty of the scene, and moved along briskly, 
but, boylike, when they had reached the foot 
of a hill which bounded the "bottom" that lay 



144 



PIONEER DAYS 



back of the fort, they paused under a hickory- 
nut tree, unable to resist its fascination, and 
commenced to gather the nuts and crack and 
eat them. They sat down at the base of the 
tree, and, unmindful that the sunset was com- 
ing on and that the cows were still undiscovered, 
they gave their whole attention to their nuts. 
So you see, my dear reader, pioneer boys were 
quite as apt to attend to pleasure before 
business, as those of the present day, and I am 
very much inclined to believe that these two 
thought more of squirrels and nuts than about 
the cows and their parents. They happened 
to look up at last, and John jumped to his feet 
in confusion, and exclaimed: 

" We'll catch it now, Hen. Yonder come 
father and Uncle Joseph, and, if they find us 
here instead of looking after the cows, they'll 
make us smoke for it." 

Henry looked in the direction indicated by 
his brother, and saw two men approaching 
them. The newcomers were dressed' like the 
settlers at the Station, and one of them carried 
a bridle in his hand. The boys commenced 
looking about very busily, and calling the cows 
as loud as they could. In a few minutes the 



PIONEER BOYS 



145 



strangers came near enough for them to dis- 
cover their real character, and the little fellows 
to their horror and dismay found that they 
were in the presence of two large Indians. 
They were terribly frightened, and started to 
run away, but the Indians levelled their guns 
at them, and threatened to kill them if they 
did not come back. Trembling in every limb 
the boys walked back slowly to their captors, 
expecting every moment to be killed and 
scalped. 

One of the Indians could converse tolerably 
well in English, and he told the boys they 
would not harm them if they would not run 
away. He said they were looking for horses, 
and that the lads must go with them. They 
started off and taking a circuitous route over 
the Short Creek hills continued their search 
after horses. Little Henry was very much 
frightened, but his brother, John, contrived to 
whisper to him not to cry or show the Indians 
that he was alarmed, and to let him do the 
talking. John became very friendly with the 
Indians, and seemed to be delighted at his 
capture. He told them he was glad they had 
taken him prisoner, that his father was a hard 



146 



PIONEER DAYS 



master, and kept him always at work, allowing 
him no time for play. He did not like such a 
life, but wanted to be free, and live in the woods, 
and be a hunter. He hoped they would take 
him to their tribe and make a warrior of him. 
The Indians were surprised and delighted at 
this language from a pale face, and the one who 
could speak English told him they would make 
a great brave out of him, and that by the time 
he was grown he would have no white blood in 
him, but would be altogether an Indian. He 
became very intimate with the lad during 
their tramp, and gave him a small bag to 
carry. This bag was quite heavy, and the 
boy supposed it contained money. 

About dusk the Indians halted at a spring 
in a hollow place, about three miles from the 
fort. They built a fire and cooked their supper 
which they shared with their prisoners. 
John Johnson made himself very useful in 
building the fire, and getting water for his 
captors, and received many grunts of satisfac- 
tion and approval. One of them asked him if 
he knew where there were any horses running 
about in the woods, but the boy, thinking it 
best to tell them the truth this time, told them 



PIONEER BOYS 



147 



that the settlers were very careful, and kept 
their horses tied up all the time, and that he did 
not think they would meet with much success 
in their efforts. When night came, the Indians 
covered up the fire, and pinioned the boys and 
made them lie down together. They then 
placed their hoppis straps over them, and lay 
down, one on each side of them, on the ends 
of the straps. They lay awake for a long 
time, talking and laughing. John, who was a 
lively and sprightly fellow, entertained the 
savages with many amusing stories which 
made them laugh heartily. These stories he 
told to the Indian who could speak English, 
and that one in his turn related them to his 
companion in his own language. Poor little 
Henry had not spoken a word since his cap- 
ture, and, though silent, he was full of indigna- 
tion against his brother for wanting to become 
an Indian, and being so friendly with them. 

John Johnson, however, was merely carrying 
out a plan which he had conceived immediately 
after their capture. The lad had been born 
and brought up on the frontier, where he had 
lived in the society of Indian-hunters all his 
life, and he was tolerably well versed in the art 



148 



PIONEER DAYS 



of border warfare, and was possessed of an in- 
telligence and a courage unusual in a boy so 
young. As soon as the Indians had captured 
his brother and himself, he had resolved to 
make his escape. This was his reason for 
telling his brother to say nothing and let him 
do all the talking, and he had spent all the 
afternoon in trying to make friends of the 
savages and lull their suspicions to rest. He 
knew that his brother would not understand 
his motives for acting as he did, but he could 
not tell him without revealing everything, and 
thus ruining their chance for escape. After 
the savages tied him and made him lie down 
for the night his courage almost departed from 
him. The Indians, as I have said, had placed 
their hoppis strap over the boys, and were 
lying upon the ends of it themselves, so that 
any attempt of the boys to get up would, by 
moving the straps, awake their captors. The 
situation seemed hopeless, but John deter- 
mined to wait patiently and see if something 
more favorable did not happen. He whis- 
pered softly to his brother not to go to sleep, 
and after the Indians ceased talking, lay. si- 
lently thinking over the escapes of the various 



PIONEER BOYS 



149 



Indian hunters that he knew. He remembered 
how Lewis Wetzel had several times regained 
his liberty in the face of even more formidable 
obstacles, for the hunter had told him the 
story himself. He believed that the Indians 
had no fear of his trying to leave them, as they 
had faith in the story he had told them, but 
how he should get out of their power he could 
not tell. Something must be done that night. 
He knew the spot where they were resting for 
the night, and could easily find his way back 
to the fort, but the next day the Indians 
w T ould strike across the country towards their 
own people, and even should they succeed in 
escaping during this journey there was a strong 
probability of their being overhauled and re- 
taken, or of losing their way and dying of 
starvation, or of wandering into a camp of 
Indians. The necessity, therefore, for doing 
something that night, if anything was to be 
done at all, was imperative. The boy's mind 
was busy with these thoughts, but he felt that 
it was useless to make even the slightest at- 
tempt as long as the Indians were awake. 
The suspense in which the little fellow was 
placed was painful, and, in spite of the chilliness 



PIONEER DAYS 



of the night, the thick sweat stood heavy on his 
forehead. 

At last the heavy breathing of the savages 
convinced him that they were asleep. He 
could not move without waking them, how- 
ever, and his condition was made no better by 
their unconsciousness than it had been before. 

The night was quite cool, and in about an 
hour after the savages fell asleep, one of them, 
becoming cold, lifted John in his arms and 
rolled him on the outside, and was soon breath- 
ing heavily again. This was just what the lad 
wanted. The Indian had put him where he 
could move without disturbing the others, 
and had not only removed the strap from him, 
but had rolled off of it himself. Profiting by 
this, the boy slowly and cautiously rolled away 
from his companions, and commenced trying 
to undo the thongs with which his hands were 
tied. Fortunately for him, the Indians had 
not fastened him very securely. He worked 
slowly and softly, so slowly, indeed, that it 
seemed that he would never free himself. 
Every movement seemed to his excited imagi- 
nation more violent than was prudent, and he 
dreaded lest the Indians should suddenly 



PIONEER BOYS 



151 



awake and discover his attempt to escape. In 
such a case, he felt sure they would kill him. 
The time wore away very slowly, but at length 
he succeeded in removing his fetters, and, 
rising gently to his feet, he looked around to 
assure himself that all was well. The huge 
forms of the Indians were stretched out at full 
length, and their heavy, regular breathing 
showed him that they were sound asleep. 
Another glance revealed to him the great, 
round, blue eyes of his little brother, Henry, 
watching his movements with the most in- 
tense eagerness. He placed his finger warn- 
ingly on his lips to caution the little fellow not 
to make any sound that might alarm the 
savages, and then stepping cautiously to the 
boy's side, he raised the strap softly, and 
motioned to his brother to get upon his feet. 
The astonished Henry did so, and his brother 
led him softly a few paces away from the 
sleepers, and commenced to untie his hands. 

How their hearts beat, as they stood there 
in the dark woods with danger and death so 
near them! The very sighing of the night 
wind, the rustling of the leaves, and the mur- 
muring of the waters of the little stream, by 



152 



PIONEER DAYS 



which they had encamped, made them start 
and tremble with fear. The slightest sound 
might arouse their captors, and then, poor 
boys, home and a mother's face would never 
gladden their eyes again. 

At last Henry's hands were released, and 
the boy, intent only upon getting off safe, 
whispered to his brother: 

"Come now, brother John, let us run home 
as fast as we can." 

John knew this would never do. Henry 
would be sure to arouse the Indians in attempt- 
ing to run away, and he seized the little fellow, 
who had already turned to put his proposal 
into execution, by the shoulder firmly, and 
whispered to him : 

"Don't run away yet, Hen. If you do, 
you'll wake the Indians, and they'll kill us. 
You mustn't stir yet, for we must kill these 
Indians before we go." 

Henry was afraid at first, for he was a very 
little fellow, and only eleven years old, and 
the idea of his killing one of the great stalwart 
savages that lay sleeping at his feet seemed to 
him an utter impossibility ; but his brother told 
him that he miist make the attempt, and after 



PIONEER BOYS 153 



some hesitation, the little fellow consented to 
do so. 

The plan upon which John had decided 
would have done credit to an old hunter, and it 
is remarkable as coming from a boy so young, 
inasmuch as it exhibits an unusual degree of 
originality, fertility of resource, and determined 
courage. The lad was only thirteen years old, 
but had he been fifty he could not have 
acted with greater coolness and determination. 
Stealing noiselessly up to the Indians, he took 
one of their rifles, which was loaded and primed, 
and, cocking it, placed it on a log with the 
muzzle only an inch or two from the head of 
one of the Indians. He then placed Henry at 
the breech of the weapon, and made him pull 
the trigger, and shoot the savage as soon as he 
should strike the other. Then stepping back, 
he possessed himself of the Indian's tomahawk, 
as he found that it would be impossible to 
remove the rifle without arousing its owner. 
He grasped the tomahawk firmly, and then 
assuring himself by a glance that his younger 
brother was ready to co-operate with him, he 
stepped softly to the sleepers, and placed him- 
self astride of one of them. They were still 



154 



PIONEER DAYS 



unconscious, the fatigue of their long march on 
the previous day having thrown them into a 
profound slumber. The boy raised the toma- 
hawk with both hands, and, concentrating 
all his energies in the blow, struck the sleeper 
with it. The blow fell on the back of the In- 
dian's neck, and a little to the side, so as not to 
be fatal. Half stunned, the savage attempted 
to spring up and defend himself, but John 
struck him again, this time on the head. Even 
this blow, though it cut through the skull with 
a horrible crash, did not kill the man, but 
the little fellow, rendered desperate by the 
gravity of his situation, struck him so fast and 
so often, and with such fatal effect, that, as 
the lad afterwards expressed it himself, "the 
Indian lay still, and began to quiver." In 
another moment, the huge savage lay motion- 
less at his feet, and, having satisfied himself 
that there was nothing more to apprehend from 
this one, John turned to see what disposition 
his brother had made of the other. 

Little Henry had also done his part well. 
As soon as he saw his elder brother strike the 
Indian with the tomahawk, he pulled the trig- 
ger and discharged the rifle. The ball struck 



PIONEER BOYS 



155 



the sleeping savage in the face, and tore away 
a considerable portion of his lower jaw. The 
Indian, a few moments after receiving the 
shot began to flounce about and yell in the 
most terrible manner. He was so completely 
startled by the suddenness of the attack that 
he did not for a moment attribute it to his 
captives, and his wound was so terrible as to 
utterly deprive him for the time of the power 
of resistance, and as soon as he had fired Henry 
dropped the rifle, and hurried over to where his 
brother was standing. All this had taken 
scarcely as much time as I have consumed in 
telling it, and the boys at once set off for the 
fort. They travelled rapidly, and reached the 
fort a little after daybreak. They were in con- 
stant dread all the way that the Indian who had 
been shot, and who they knew had not been 
killed would pursue them and take vengeance 
on them. As they approached the fort, they 
found the settlers all awake and up, and in the 
greatest alarm and distress concerning them. 
Their mother, surrounded by a group of sym- 
pathetic friends, was weeping bitterly over 
their supposed unhappy fate. 



156 



PIONEER DAYS 



"Poor little fellows/' she sobbed, "they are 
killed or taken prisoners. 99 

John's heart was in his throat, at the sight 
of his mother's grief, and rushing to her, he 
cried out eagerly : 

"No, mother, we are here safe and sound. " 

You may be sure there was joy in the fort 
over the return of the two lost ones. John 
told the story of their capture and escape, but 
it seemed to the settlers so utterly improbable 
that two such children had killed two Indian 
warriors that the story was not believed. 
John then offered to guide a party to the scene 
of the tragedy, and a small detachment was 
sent out to ascertain the truth of the boy's 
statement. They reached the camp, and 
found there the dead body of the Indian whom 
John had tomahawked, but the one Henry had 
shot had managed to crawl away and take his 
gun and ammunition with him. He could 
not be found, but his skeleton and gun were 
discovered some time afterwards. These 
things confirmed the truth of the boy's story, 
and they were after that the pride and boast of 
the settlement. 

The Indians, who were killed, were great 



PIONEER BOYS 



157 



warriors, and very wealthy. The bag, which 
John had seen and carried on the previous 
evening, and which he supposed contained 
money, was never found. It was believed 
that one of the men in the fort, upon hearing 
the boy's story, had started for the spot in ad- 
vance of the party and secured the money. 

The Indians themselves did honor to the 
bravery of the two boys. After their treaty 
with General Wayne, a friend of the Indians 
who were killed asked a man from Short Creek 
what had become of the boys who killed the 
two warriors? Upon being told that they 
were residing at home with their parents, he 
expressed his surprise. 

"Ah," said he, "you have not done right; 
you should make kings of those boys." 



JAMES MOORED CAPTIVITY 

"I was a mere lad then, " said the old man, 
in an absent, far-away manner, as if his thoughts 
had gone back to that distant time. "I was 
a mere lad then, but I mind well the day, and 
if I live to be a hundred years old, I shall never 
forget it. " 

The speaker was an old man of eighty- three, 
and I was a lad of fourteen. He was one of 
those who had driven the red men from the 
border, and laid the foundation of that mighty 
and glorious West, of which Americans are so 
justly proud. We were sitting on the banks 
of the Ohio, nearly sixteen years ago, watching 
one of those magnificent " floating palaces," 
then very numerous, but now driven almost 
entirely from the river by the railroads, and my 
companion was saying how little he thought, 
when a young man, that he should ever live to 
see the country so powerful and prosperous. 
I knew he had once been a prisoner in the 
hands of the Indians, and that he had been 
through a life of exciting adventure, and I 
asked him if he remembered the time when he 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 159 



had crossed the Ohio as the captive of the 
savages, and to this question he gave the above 
reply. 

" If I am not asking too much, Mr. Moore, " 
I said, "will you tell me the story of your cap- 
ture and captivity ?" 

"With all my heart, lad," said the old man, 
smiling. "You young people of to-day ought 
to know what we old folks went through years 
ago to provide these comforts, and the best 
way for you to learn the truth is to hear it 
from the lips of those of us who are left. 

11 1 was taken prisoner on the 7th of Septem- 
ber, 1784, when I was in my fourteenth year. 
Previous to this my father, about the year 
1775, removed from his house near the Natural 
Bridge, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and 
settled on the waters of the Blue Stone, a 
branch of the New River, in Abbs Valley, 
which is now a part of Tazewell County, Vir- 
ginia. He chose that section on account of 
the great fertility of the soil, and its peculiar 
adaptation to the raising of stock. His family 
consisted at this time of himself, wife and six 
children, of whom three were boys, I being the 
oldest. As I said, my father devoted his 



i6o 



PIONEER DAYS 



attention principally to stock-raising. He 
usually kept about one hundred horses and a 
number of cattle. Our situation was very 
lonely, however, being remote from the settle- 
ments, and consequently exposed to the in- 
cursions of the Indians; but in spite of this, 
we lived there for nine years without experi- 
encing any injury at their hands, except the loss 
of a few horses. At the end of that time I 
was captured, and two years later my father 
and his family, with the single exception of 
my younger sister, were massacred by the 
savages, and our home destroyed. 

n On the morning of the 7th of September, 
1784, my father informed me that our stock of 
corn meal was nearly exhausted, and that I 
must go to a waste plantation which belonged 
to him, about two miles and a half distant 
from the house, and catch a horse, on which 
I must go to the mill for a load of meal. We 
lived about twelve miles from the mill, and 
the road, which led for the whole distance 
through a dreary wilderness, was very lonely. 
The trip would take me some time, and, as I 
had no desire to make a part of it after night- 
fall, I set off at once for the horse. As I en- 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 161 



tered the woods, they seemed darker and 
gloomier than ever to me, and, for the life of 
me, I could not prevent a vague, indefinable 
feeling of dread from stealing over me. I 
could not tell why it was or how it was, but 
for some reason I became possessed of the 
idea that there was a huge and ferocious wild 
beast in the forest, and that I was destined to 
be devoured by him that day. As I went on 
this feeling grew stronger, and I found myself 
trembling in every limb. For awhile I was 
tempted to turn back and go home; but I 
reflected that my father would, in all probability, 
think light of my fears, give me a sound scold- 
ing, and send me back, and I determined to 
keep on. The day was mild and warm, but 
my nervousness became so great that I found 
my teeth chattering as with a hard ague. 

"At length I emerged from the woods, and 
entered the field in which I expected to find 
the horses. Suddenly three Indians sprang 
from behind a log where they had lain con- 
cealed, and one of them seized me by the 
shoulder. I did not see them at first, and, 
when I felt the fellow grip my shoulder, I felt 
confident that I had fallen into the clutches of 



PIONEER DAYS 



the animal I had been dreading, and I screamed 
with all my might. The Indian who had 
seized me tightened his hold upon me at this, 
and told me in the Indian language to hush. 
At the sound of his voice I turned and looked 
at him, and, strange as it may seem, I felt 
greatly relieved to find that my captor was an 
Indian, instead of the dreadful beast my fancy 
had conjured up; for I could not help thinking 
it far better to fall into the clutches of the In- 
dians than to be at the mercy of a wild animal. 

"'What need I fear?' I said to myself. 
'All that is in it is, I shall have to go to the 
Shawnee towns with them/ 

"My captors were three in number, and 
consisted of a father, his son, and another 
Indian, the two younger savages being about 
eighteen years old. The father was a middle- 
aged man, of herculean frame, with a long, 
black beard (something remarkable in one of 
his race), and the sternest face I ever saw. 
They were all of the Shawnee tribe, and were 
armed with rifles. The oldest Indian was 
named Black Wolf, and his general appear- 
ance was fully in keeping with his title. As 
the Black Wolf was my captor I belonged to 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 163 



him, and was, henceforth, to be considered as 
his slave, until he should choose to sell or kill 
me, either of which things he had, by the laws 
of his people, a perfect right to do. 

" After taking me prisoner, the savages 
carried me to an old, deserted cabin in the field 
to which I had been sent by my father. The 
horses were grazing in the meadow in full view, 
and not over a quarter of a mile from us. The 
Black Wolf explained to me that I would have 
to catch a horse for each of them, and one for 
myself, as they were determined to ride back 
home. He gave me a handful of salt, and 
ordered me to set about my work at once. I 
obeyed him with alacrity, for it was my inten- 
tion to catch a horse as quick as possible, 
mount it and make my escape. Something in 
my face must have revealed my design, for 
the Indians were quick to suspect it, and as 
often as I would get hold of a horse they would 
come running up, and thus scare him away. 
This was continued for nearly an hour, and at 
last, finding that I could not catch a horse for 
myself, I determined I would not do so for one 
of them, and gave up the attempt, telling them 
if they wanted a horse, to catch one for them- 



PIONEER DAYS 



selves. They tried to do so, but were forced 
to abandon their efforts in great disgust; for 
the animals, with an instinct as true as that 
of a human being, avoided them, and thus 
escaped the fate which had befallen me. I 
was glad of it, for, although I knew I would 
have to accompany my master on foot, I felt 
a kind of savage joy in thinking that he and his 
companions would be subject to the same fa- 
tigue they compelled me to endure, besides 
failing to secure the object of their expedition, 
the horses. 

"This I supposed was between twelve and 
one o'clock in the day, for I estimated the time 
from the position of the sun, as my father had 
taught me. Failing to secure the animals, the 
Indians went into a thicket near by and 
brought out their kettle and blankets, which 
they had concealed there upon their arrival in 
the neighborhood, and we at once set out upon 
our journey. The country over which we 
passed was very mountainous, and full of logs, 
rocks, high weeds and green briers, and these 
impeded our march so much that it was with 
difficulty we could move at all, so that when 
evening came we had gone only eight miles 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 165 



from the place of my capture. The two 
young Indians went in front, I followed them, 
and the Black Wolf brought up the rear. I 
had made up my mind to go quietly with the 
Indians, and trust to the mercy of Heaven for 
my safety, but, at the same time, to take 
advantage of any circumstance that might 
enable me to escape; and as I was every mo- 
ment going further from my friends, and 
deeper into the wilderness, I tried to make a 
trail by breaking off twigs from the bushes and 
bark from the trees, as we passed along. I 
thought my action was unobserved, but I was 
soon convinced to the contrary by the old 
W olf , who shook his tomahawk at me and or- 
dered me to desist. Then I tried to scratch 
the ground with my feet, but the old fellow 
soon discovered this, and put a stop to it. He 
showed me how to put my feet down flat in 
walking, so as not to leave any mark behind, 
and threatened me with instant death if I did 
not comply with his order. I had no alter- 
native but to submit, and walked along pas- 
sively with them, which conduct the Indians 
greeted with a grunt of approval. 

"In the evening, about sundown, old Wolf 



166 



PIONEER DAYS 



gave a tremendous war-whoop, and I thought for 
a moment that it was but the prelude to my 
death ; but I found that it was the custom of the 
savages to do this at sunset and sunrise each 
day, when travelling with prisoners. The 
number of prisoners was denoted by the 
number of whoops. They also whooped when 
they came back from a foray with scalps, 
though this whoop was an entirely different 
sound. In this way they made it known, as 
far as the sound could be heard, whether they 
had scalps or prisoners, and how many. 

"We had neither food nor fire, and the night 
was rainy and chill. The Black Wolf searched 
me carefully to see whether I had a knife, and, 
finding none, prepared for our night's rest. He 
tied one end of a leading halter around my 
neck, and wrapped the other around his hand, 
so as to make sure of me. In this situation I 
could not possibly attempt to escape without 
waking him, and there was very little chance 
of that after he was awake. We lay down in 
a laurel thicket, and, in spite of the extreme 
discomfort of my situation, I managed to 
sleep a little during the night. I was always 
of a very philosophic turn, and I resigned my- 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 167 



self to my fate with a fortitude that was not at 
all proportioned to my tender age. 

"The next morning at daybreak we resumed 
our march and followed the shore of Tug Creek 
for several miles, until we reached the main 
ridge of Tug Mountain, along which we de- 
scended until we came to Maxwell's Gap, a pass 
in the mountains which derived its name from 
a man named Maxwell who was killed there by 
this same Black Wolf and a band of Indians. 
We halted here, and old Wolf went off and 
soon returned, bringing a moderate-sized 
Dutch oven, which he had stolen and secreted 
on some former expedition. This oven he or- 
dered me to carry, and, afraid to refuse, I 
obeyed him. He tied the oven to my back, 
where it was continually striking and bruising 
me as we descended the mountain side. At 
last, having suffered real torture from it, I 
threw it down, and declared I would carry it 
no further. The Black Wolf then set his own 
burden down, and, ordering me to carry it, 
took up the oven. I took hold of the bundle, 
but found I could not lift it. I then became 
more reconciled to my lot, and, shouldering 
the oven again, trudged on with it. 



PIONEER DAYS 



"We continued to march along the moun- 
tain ridge all day, and encamped on it at night. 
Towards dark it commenced to rain, and the 
son of the Black Wolf pulled off my hat. 
Supposing he wanted it for his own head, I 
became angry at what I considered the insult, 
and struck him and took the hat from him. 
The fellow, however, showed me that he 
merely wanted it to protect the lock of his gun 
from the rain, and I let him have it. After the 
rain he returned it to me. 

"We travelled in this way for three days, 
during which time we had not a mouthful to 
eat. This deprivation did not fall so hard on 
the Indians, as they were used to long fasts; 
but it came very hard upon me, who had been 
accustomed to the regular meals of my race. 
I became literally faint with hunger, and began 
to fear that I should give out from sheer ex- 
haustion. Our only sustenance was water, 
with a little poplar bark steeped in it. On the 
fourth day, however, the Black Wolf killed a 
buffalo, and we cut it up and took out its 
paunch, of which, after cleansing it in clear 
water, we made a broth, mixing with it some 
pieces of meat during the cooking process. 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 169 



We drank heartily of this broth, but did not 
eat any of the meat. At night we made 
another kettle of broth, but did not touch the 
meat. The Indians always pursued this pol- 
icy after a long fast, as they understood, by 
intuition, I suppose, the danger of trying to 
make the stomach digest strong food when 
weakened by long abstinence. 

"I had now been travelling for four days 
barefooted, and, in consequence of this, I had 
four stone bruises on each foot, and my suffer- 
ings were excruciating. The way was rough, 
and bruised and cut my feet terribly. Some- 
times I would walk over rattlesnakes, dread- 
ing every moment to be stung by them; but 
the Indians would not let me kill the reptiles, 
as they considered them friends. The savages 
were provided with moccasins, and could 
travel without inconvenience, so that it mat- 
tered little to them how much I suffered. They 
tarried not an instant on my account, and I 
was forced to push on with them, limping and 
groaning inwardly, but too proud to show by 
the tears which struggled to come to my eyes, 
but which I resolutely forced back, how much 
I suffered from their cruel indifference, 



170 



PIONEER DAYS 



"A few days after this, one of the Indians 
killed another buffalo. The animal was very 
fat, and we cut off and dried enough of his 
flesh to last us several days, and, from this 
time until we reached the Indian settlements, 
we killed and ate buffaloes and deer, as we had 
need for and could find them. Fortunately 
this kind of game was in abundance along our 
route, and we were very well off in the matter 
of food as long as our journey continued. We 
crossed the Ohio River at a point between the 
mouth of Guyandot and Big Sandy. As we 
had no canoe, the Indians took several dry logs 
which were found in the woods on the shore, 
and, tying them together with wild grape- 
vines, made a kind of rude raft on which we 
passed over to the state of Ohio, or the Indian 
Shore, as it was then called. Shortly after 
this we reached the banks of the Scioto, and 
here, to my great relief, the Indians encamped 
one day. Here they made pictures or hiero- 
glyphics to represent three Indians with one 
prisoner. This they did to show their tribe, or 
such members of it as should pass that way, that 
they had encamped there with one white man in 
their power. After this we crossed the Scioto. 



JAMES MOORE S CAPTIVITY 171 



"On the twentieth day after my capture, 
we came in sight of the Shawnee towns, near 
what is now the city of Chillicothe, in the 
state of Ohio. As we approached the towns, 
the Indians halted and painted themselves 
black. My heart sunk within me as I saw 
them engaged in this ceremony, for I feared 
that I should be the next object of their artistic 
skill, and I knew enough about Indian customs, 
having heard of them from the older settlers 
and hunters, to understand that, if they did 
paint my face, it would be a sign that they had 
doomed me to death by the torture, or some 
other equally diabolical means. To my great 
joy, however, they did not touch me, but 
having painted themselves to their satisfaction, 
continued their march. This I knew meant 
that I was spared, at least, for the present; but 
I was by no means sure how long this unusual 
clemency would continue. As it was a time of 
peace, and the Indians were not, according to 
their ideas, at war with the whites, my master 
was not obliged to treat me as the captive of 
the tribe. He had been off on a private expe- 
dition, and I was, therefore, his own property, 
to dispose of as he pleased. Instead, there- 



172 



PIONEER DAYS 



fore, of taking me into the town, the Black 
Wolf carried me to the residence of his half- 
sister, which was in the vicinity of the settle- 
ment. He was very anxious to own a horse, 
and, as he had failed to capture one on the 
expedition from which he was returning, he 
was determined to make use of me to procure 
one; so, after bargaining, he sold me to the 
woman for an old horse. I hardly knew 
whether to be glad or sorry at my change of 
owners; for, with the exception of compelling 
me to keep up with his party on the march, 
when I could scarcely walk, the Black Wolf 
had treated me very kindly, and I did not 
know whether my new mistress would be as 
considerate. She proved, however, to be equal 
to her brother in humanity. A few days after 
purchasing me, she left me alone in the wigwam 
for several days, leaving me a kettle of boiled 
hominy for food. I was very lonely and de- 
pressed, and in my trouble I turned to my 
Heavenly Father for comfort. I had enjoyed 
a religious education in my father's family, 
and I now found out the value of it. After 
casting my burdens on the Lord, I rose and 
went about cheerfully, feeling sure that he had 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 173 



heard and would deliver me in his own good 
time. I do not think I could have kept my 
reason during my captivity, but for this com- 
forting trust in the mercy of an over-ruling 
Providence. 

"My new mistress returned in a few days, 
and, as she had no other servant, I was made 
to perform all the duties necessary to the 
success of her domestic establishment. She 
was very strict, very exacting; but, in other 
respects, I had no reason to complain of her. 

u In about two weeks after my arrival at the 
settlement, my mistress sent me, with a party 
of Indians, all of us under the charge of the 
Black Wolf, on a hunting expedition. We 
were very unsuccessful, and succeeded in 
taking scarcely game enough to keep us alive, 
having literally nothing to carry back to the 
settlement. The winter had set in early, and, 
though it was only the middle of October, the 
snow was knee-deep on the ground, and the 
weather was intensely cold. My blanket was 
entirely too short for me, coming scarcely to my 
knees, and my sufferings from the cold, added 
to those which I experienced from the absence 
of food, were intense. My clothing, which was 



174 



PIONEER DAYS 



suited only to the early autumn weather, was 
almost worn out, and often when I laid down 
I would have to draw my legs and feet up until 
I was bent double, to get them under the 
blanket. The next morning when I awoke, I 
was so benumbed and stiff that it was with 
difficulty I could straighten myself. The 
Black Wolf kept a sharp eye to my health and 
to that of the young Indians who were with us, 
and every morning, in spite of the freezing 
weather, he would make us plunge all over in 
cold water. I did this only upon compulsion, 
but I am glad of it now, for I believe it har- 
dened me, and kept me from taking cold and 
suffering more from the severity of the weather. 
I was in hopes that this severity of the weather, 
and the absence of game from the hunting- 
grounds, would induce the Indians to return to 
the settlement, for it seemed very evident to 
me, and I thought it must appear so to them, 
that our hunt was destined to be profitless; but 
the difficulties which lay in our way only served 
to increase their zeal, and we spent the entire 
winter in the woods and snow. I thought I 
should perish before the season was over, but, 
through the mercy of Providence, I was spared. 



JAMES MOORE'S CAPTIVITY 175 



11 Early in the spring we set out on our re- 
turn to the settlement. We carried with us 
little or no game, and consequently met with 
but a cold reception from those we had left 
behind, and who had been impatiently expect- 
ing our return. A few days after this a party of 
white traders from Detroit came into the 
settlement, and one of them, seeing me and 
hearing my story, persuaded the Black Wolf, 
who was a firm friend of his, to give me to him. 
This the Black Wolf did with more cheerful- 
ness than I had expected, and I began to 
entertain the hope of being able to return to my 
own race and family, when my mistress, angry 
at the disposition her brother had made of her 
property — which fact may, after all, account 
for the extreme generosity of the Black Wolf — 
threatened the trader with a severe punish- 
ment at the hands of the tribe, and compelled 
him to give me back to her. I bade adieu with 
a sad heart to my new friend, and for two more 
months I stayed among the savages. 

"At the end of that time, I went with my 
mistress to attend a dance at a town about two 
miles from where I resided. At this dance it 
was my good fortune to meet a French trader 



176 



PIONEER DAYS 



from Detroit. This good man, pitying my 
condition, and struck with my resemblance to 
one of his sons, bought me from my mistress 
for fifty dollars in Indian money — that is a 
small quantity of silver brooches, crosses and 
the like. I accompanied my new friend to 
Detroit the next day, and with him passed the 
next three years, when I was able to return to 
my friends in Virginia. The trader and his 
wife, while I lived with them, were like parents 
to me, and I shall never cease to cherish their 
memory. I frequently accompanied my pro- 
tector in his trading expeditions among the 
Indians, and always did what I could to alle- 
viate the sufferings of those of my race whom I 
found in the power of the savages. On one of 
these trading expeditions I heard of the massa- 
cre of my father and his family, with the excep- 
tion of my sister, who was a captive, and after 
some time I succeeded in effecting her release, 
and carried her with me back to Virginia. 

"This, my dear young friend, is the story of 
my captivity. Thank Heaven, your genera- 
tion is spared the horrors which surrounded 
mine. " 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 



One of the most famous and daring hunters 
of the early days of the West was Lewis Wetzel. 
He was the son of John Wetzel, a German, who 
settled on Big Wheeling, in western Virginia, 
among the first white men who went to that 
region. His education was that of a hunter 
and a warrior. He imbibed at an early age 
many of the wild and savage ideas of the In- 
dians, and always seemed more at home with 
his rifle and the woods than in the company of 
civilized beings. He was possessed of almost 
superhuman powers of endurance, and could 
go without food and drink longer, and incur 
more fatigue and exposure than any other hun- 
ter of his day. As a marksman, he had very 
few equals and no superiors. It was an occur- 
rence so remote as to be almost an impossi- 
bility, for any human being to escape death 
when once the rifle of Lewis Wetzel was aimed 
at him " with the intent to kill. " When a boy, 
he adopted the practice of loading his rifle as he 
ran, and by the time he grew to man's estate, 
he was such a proficient in this accomplish- 



178 



PIONEER DAYS 



ment that he could load while running at full 
speed as well as when standing still. This was 
an accomplishment peculiar to Wetzel himself, 
and, owing to it, he rarely failed to come out 
of his encounters with the Indians victorious. 
He hated the redskins bitterly, and it was not 
long before he became a terror to them. With 
his own hand he slew twenty-seven Indians in 
the single state of West Virginia, and as many 
more along the frontier settlements of Ken- 
tucky during the Indian wars. He escaped 
all their plans and snares set for him, however, 
and died in his bed at a good age, after having 
the satisfaction of seeing the power of the In- 
dians along the Ohio broken forever. 

When he was only thirteen years old, he 
was captured by a party of Indians, together 
with his brother Jacob, who was two years his 
junior. He made a bold resistance, however, 
and was wounded in the breast before being 
taken prisoner, the bullet carrying away a piece 
of his breastbone, which caused him great suf- 
fering. The second night after the boys were 
taken, the Indians encamped at the Big Lick, 
twenty miles from the Ohio River, on the waters 
of McMahon's Creek. The boys were not tied 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 179 



as the savages supposed they were too young 
to try to run away. After the Indians had 
fallen asleep, Lewis whispered to his brother 
Jacob, that he must get up and accompany 
him back home. Jacob at first refused, being 
afraid the savages might recapture and kill 
them, but at length he consented to make the 
attempt to escape, and got up and went along 
with his brother. After they had gone about 
a hundred yards, the boys sat down on a log. 

"Well," said Lewis, "we can't go home 
barefooted, so Til go back and get a pair of 
moccasins for each of us. " 

With this the brave boy went back to the 
sleeping Indians, and absolutely took two 
pairs of moccasins from them without disturb- 
ing them, and rejoined his brother in safety. 
After sitting on the log a little longer, he said 
he would go back and get his father's gun, 
which had been captured with him ; and this he 
also accomplished. The boys then set out for 
home, taking the trail by which they had come. 
They had not travelled far before they heard 
the Indians coming after them. It was a 
moonlight night, and they stepped aside into 
the bushes, let the Indians pass by, and then 



i8o 



PIONEER DAYS 



fell into the trail again behind them, and on 
the return of the Indians they did the same 
thing, and when two Indians pursued them on 
horseback, they dodged them in the same way. 
They pushed on rapidly, and the next day 
reached Wheeling in safety, crossing from the 
Indian shore to Wheeling Island on a raft of 
their own making. They reached the settle- 
ment not a moment too soon, for by this time 
Lewis had become almost exhausted from his 
wound. 

This was the first adventure of Lewis Wetzel 
with the Indians, and will serve to show the 
character of the man to whose exploits I pro- 
pose to devote these pages. 

In the year 1782, after Crawford's defeat, 
Lewis went with a man named Thomas Mills, 
who had been in the campaign, to get his horse, 
which he had left near the place where the town 
of St. Clairsville now stands. The two friends 
were travelling along leisurely, never dreaming 
of danger, and discussing the events of the 
campaign, and were even laying plans for an 
expedition of their own against the common 
enemy, when, as they reached Indian Springs, 
two miles from St. Clairsville, on the Wheeling 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 181 



road, they came unexpectedly upon a band of 
forty Indians. The savages and the white men 
discovered each other about the same moment. 
With the swiftness of thought, Lewis brought 
his rifle to his shoulder and fired, and as usual 
killed an Indian. The Indians then fired a 
volley, and, though they missed Wetzel, shot 
Mills in the heel. The two white men beat a 
hasty retreat, and the Indians followed in hot 
pursuit. Poor Mills, being disabled by the 
wound in his heel, was soon overtaken, and 
despatched by the tomahawks of the savages. 

Wetzel, who was famous as being one of the 
fleetest runners of his day, fled with the speed 
of a deer, and his pursuers, finding that their 
shots were thrown away at him, undertook a 
different method of overhauling him. Four of 
the swiftest Indians of the band were selected, 
and directed to throw aside their weapons 
and catch the daring hunter. They obeyed 
promptly the order of their chief, and started 
off with a yell. But Wetzel, calling to his aid 
the practice of his boyhood, loaded his rifle as 
he ran, and watched his chance to fire at his 
pursuers. The main body of the Indians, 
confident that the hunter would be overtaken 



PIONEER DAYS 



by the four athletes sent after him, had aban- 
doned the pursuit, and were following lei- 
surely. When he had gone about half a mile, 
Wetzel saw that one of his pursuers was within 
eight or ten feet of him. Now was the time 
to fire, and, wheeling abruptly, before the 
astonished savage could comprehend his in- 
tention, he shot him down. The Indian fell 
heavily without a groan, for the ball had 
entered his brain. The other three, however, 
followed hard upon him, and the hunter was 
forced to take to his heels again. He repeated 
his manoeuvre of loading while running, and 
soon had his unerring weapon cocked and 
primed again for another shot. Three-quar- 
ters of a mile more were passed over, and one 
of the Indians was so close upon him that 
he could almost touch him. Wheeling again, 
Wetzel prepared to fire, when the savage 
seized his gun, and with all his strength 
endeavored to wrest it from him. The savage 
was a powerful fellow, and the situation was 
desperate. Wetzel struggled manfully, and 
the Indian did likewise. The other Indians 
were approaching rapidly, and it seemed that 
they would be successful in their attempt. By 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 



183 



a powerful effort, Wetzel brought the muzzle 
of the rifle to the Indian's breast and fired. 
The fellow relaxed his hold, sprang into the 
air, and fell back a corpse. Resuming his 
flight, Wetzel reloaded his weapon, and turned 
to bring down another redskin ; but the remain- 
ing two, made cautious by the fate of their 
comrades, sprang behind a tree as they saw him 
pause. He was very tired and availed himself 
of this to rest awhile; but, remembering that 
the main body of the Indians might come up at 
any moment, he started off again, followed by 
the two Indians who kept close upon his heels. 
Several times he paused, hoping to get a shot 
at the savages; but whenever he paused, they 
sprang to the shelter of trees. They passed 
over a mile of country in this way, and at 
length reached a clearing, where the hunter 
determined to bring down one of his pursuers. 
There were very few trees within reach, and 
these were so small as to be worthless as a 
defence. Yet the redskins, seeing Wetzel halt 
suddenly, sprang behind two saplings to await 
his movements. Watching them closely, he 
saw that the tree was too small to cover the 
body of one of the Indians, and, aiming his 



PIONEER DAYS 



rifle carefully, he fired. The ball broke the 
fellow's thigh, and he fell to the ground with a 
loud yell. The wound was a severe one, and 
afterwards proved fatal. Loading hastily, he 
prepared to complete his victory by shooting 
the other Indian; but the savage, thinking 
"discretion the better part of valor, M and as- 
tonished by the wonderful weapon which Lewis 
carried and which had brought down three of 
his companions, without, as he supposed, being 
charged afresh, gave a loud yell and took to 
his heels, crying out as he went: 

"No catch dat man; gun always loaded. 99 
Wetzel did not pause to secure the scalp of 
the wounded Indian, as he was fearful of the 
arrival of the main body, but continued his 
retreat as rapidly as possible, and until he was 
near enough to the settlements to consider him- 
self safe. 

He had a friend living close by, and feeling 
anxious for his safety, as he knew his situation 
to be an exposed one, he set off for his cabin, 
to warn him of the proximity of the Indians, 
and urge him to take his family to the fort until 
the danger should be passed. He hurried on, 
and in a short while came into the clearing 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 185 



which his friend, the settler, had made on his 
little farm. The sight which met his eyes 
there made him shudder and grow sick at heart, 
veteran hunter though he was. The cabin 
and fencing were in ashes, the corn was tram- 
pled down, and the result of two years' hard 
labor on the part of the settler were destroyed 
in the short space of as many hours. Wetzel 
pushed on at a sharp run, and in a few minutes 
stood by the side of what had once been the 
cabin. The ashes were still smoking, showing 
that the savages had done their work but 
recently. A half-charred human body lay in 
the midst of the ruins, and by the heavy boots 
on the feet the hunter recognized it as the 
corpse of his friend. A heap of blackened 
bones lay near by, showing that one of the 
settler's children had perished in the flames; 
but there were no traces of the mother and the 
other child, and he supposed the Indians had 
carried them off into captivity. 

The footprints of the savages were very dis- 
tinct in the soft, clayey soil, and the hunter's 
keen eye soon detected among them the marks 
of the feet of a woman and child. He followed 
the trail for a few hundred yards from the 



PIONEER DAYS 



house, and found that these footmarks were 
still as distinct, and that they were turned 
away from the clearing,, an indication that the 
savages had taken their prisoners with them in 
their retreat. He hesitated but a short time. 
He was too late to warn his friends, as he had 
intended, and it was useless for him to remain 
where he was. He must either go to one of the 
settlements, or he must try to follow the In- 
dians and see if he could not rescue their cap- 
tives. He decided upon the latter course, and, 
stopping only long enough to drink at a spring 
near by, he started off, following the trail of 
the Indians. It seemed a bold undertaking for 
one man to attempt to pursue so many, but 
Lewis Wetzel was used to such efforts. He 
had done the same thing before, and had come 
out successful, and he believed he could do so 
again. He followed the trail rapidly, and, as 
the Indians had but a few hours' start of him, 
and would be unsuspicious of being pursued, 
he felt sure of coming up with them. 

The day wore away without his meeting 
with the savages, and at length it became too 
dark for him to see the trail. He had become 
very well satisfied, however, as to where it was 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 187 



leading him, and he felt confident of his abil- 
ity to continue in it even in the dark. The 
Indians would certainly encamp for the night, 
and this would enable him to come up with 
them, and, if nothing could be done at once for 
the relief of the captives, he could hang about 
the camp during the night, and follow at a safe 
distance in the morning, ready to do anything 
in his power to aid his friends. It became nec- 
essary to be very cautious in his movements, 
lest he should stumble over the savages in the 
dark. 

About two hours after nightfall, the hunter 
saw a ruddy glow rising through the trees and 
undergrowth some distance ahead, and, as he 
moved onward, the light grew stronger. This 
was beyond a doubt the glare from the Indian 
camp-fire, and as they might have their scouts 
out it was necessary to move with great cau- 
tion. Another hour brought him in full view 
of the enemy, and by crawling upon his hands 
and knees, he managed to approach within 
fifty yards of their camp-fire. 

The savages had encamped for the night 
beside a small brook which crossed their line of 
march at right angles, and, utterly unsuspi- 



188 



PIONEER DAYS 



cious of pursuit, had taken none of their usual 
precautions. They had no scouts or sentinels 
out, but were all gathered around their fire, 
laughing and talking. Wetzel noticed that 
but four of the savages were present, and this 
made him uneasy, as he feared the others — four 
or five in number — (for there certainly had 
been eight or nine, in all, engaged in the de- 
struction and massacre at the cabin of his 
unhappy friend the settler) might be lurking 
through the woods, and might stumble over 
him at any moment. In such a case, there 
was very little doubt that his temerity 
would result in either his death or capture. 
The four Indians were sitting in a group, or 
were huddled together, and were in high glee 
over something. The hunter's blood boiled 
as he listened to their boisterous merriment, 
and he clutched his rifle with an anger that 
boded them no good. Opposite the savages 
he saw the wife of his dead friend. The poor 
woman was sitting near the fire, with her 
little child, a boy about four years old, lying 
across her lap, and with her eyes fixed on the 
flames with an expression of hopeless anguish. 
Lewis Wetzel had seen many a sad sight in the 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 189 



course of his hunter's career, and had done so 
with a callousness that made him believe him- 
self hardened against all kinds of suffering; 
but the expression of the captive's face as she 
sat before him, wrung his heart with a sharp 
pain. If he had had any intention of aban- 
doning his attempt to rescue the captives, the 
sight of that poor woman's face would have 
driven it from him. Come what might, he 
would save them, or perish with them. During 
all the while he lay there, the woman never 
moved. The child was asleep in her lap, and, 
with a mother's tenderness, she hushed it and 
watched over its sleep, even in the trying and 
terrible situation in which she was placed. 

The time wore on, and Wetzel was becoming 
stiff and chilled from his cramped position. 
It had been fully two hours since his arrival, 
and, as yet, there were no signs of the absent 
Indians. Their companions at the camp-fire 
were sitting up very late, and he at first sup- 
posed they were awaiting the return of their 
friends; but when, at length, he saw them rise 
and cover up the fire preparatory to going to 
sleep, he was convinced that the other Indians 
were not expected to return that night — that 



190 



PIONEER DAYS 



they had probably gone off on some predatory 
expedition. Satisfied of this, he resolved to 
put into instant execution a plan upon which 
he had determined while watching the savages. 
He cocked his rifle noiselessly, and took it in 
his left hand, while with his right he grasped 
his heavy tomahawk. Three of the Indians 
were standing near the fire, which they had 
just arranged for the night, and the fourth had 
gone to the little stream to get some water. 
Wetzel rose noiselessly to his feet, and, with 
the stealthiness of a cat, crept to within twenty 
feet of his foes without attracting their atten- 
tion. Then balancing his body firmly, he 
hurled his tomahawk at the nearest Indian 
with all his force, striking him full on the head. 
The heavy weapon crushed through the skull 
of the savage, and brought him bleeding to the 
ground; for Lewis Wetzel was as expert with 
his tomahawk as he was with his gun. There 
was a yell of surprise and dismay from the 
other two Indians, and the next moment the 
sharp crack of Wetzel's rifle brought one of 
them down a corpse. The other savage seized 
his rifle, and springing behind a tree tried to 
find out his assailant; but as Wetzel had al- 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 191 



ready availed himself of a similar protection, 
the fellow could discover nothing. The fourth 
Indian, hearing the yells of his companions 
and the report of the rifle, started back to the 
fire in alarm; but being without his weapon, 
which he had left where he had been sitting, he 
took also to a tree, no doubt thinking it best 
to risk as little as possible. 

Meanwhile Wetzel, protected by his tree 
from the bullet of his tawny foe, reloaded his 
weapon with that celerity for which he, above 
all others, was famous. This done, he pre- 
pared to take advantage of the first opportunity 
for shooting one of the remaining Indians. 
The glow of the fire lit up the woods sufficiently 
for him to discover the first movement of the 
savage, who was only a few yards from him. 
The Indian, however, was quite as wary as his 
antagonist, and took good care not to expose 
himself in the slightest degree, and for some 
time the two men stood thus, watching each 
other, and prepared to fire at the instant either 
could detect the other in exposing himself. 

The woman, aroused from her reverie by 
the firing and shouts, had started to her feet 
at the first, and had involuntarily caught up 



1 92 



PIONEER DAYS 



one of the rifles which the Indians had left b 
the fire. At first Wetzel was appreh 
that the savage who had secured his gun 
shoot her, but he reflected that, by doing rhi 
the Indian would throw away his sho: 
place himself at his mercy, and he kne 
redskin was too well trained a warrior 
this. This satisfied him that the woman's li 
was safe for the present, and he called to h 
that aid was near, and told her to make sure 
the Indian he had struck with the tomahav 
by shooting him through the head. This tl 
woman did. in a kind of mechanical wa 
which showed that she had not yet fully rec 
ized her situation. The surviving India 
greeted the act with a howl of rage, but, 
Wetzel supposed, the armed savage did n 
fire. The greatest danger of all was that zl 
unarmed Indian would rush out 'from his coi 
cealment and possess himself of one of the rifl 
by the fire; and, should he do this, the hunter 
doom would be sure, or should Wetzel shot 
him. he would be sure to lose his shot, ar 
place himself at the mercy of the other India 
To avert this, he called to the woman wi 
was standing near the hre to take one of tl 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 193 



rifles and shoot the Indian, if he tried to leave 
his tree. He told her who he was, and begged 
her to lose no time. At the mention of his 
name, the woman's manner changed. She 
knew that Lewis Wetzel rarely failed in his un- 
dertakings, and her despair vanished. She 
seized the rifle quickly, her border life having 
taught her how to use it. She was not a mo- 
ment too soon; for the unarmed Indian, in 
accordance with the result of a conversation 
which had been going on between himself and 
his companion, sprang from behind his tree 
and dashed towards the fire, intending to seize 
one of the guns. The woman, aroused now in 
her danger, and eager to avenge herself upon 
one of the murderers of her husband and child, 
raised the rifle quickly and fired. The savage 
threw up his arms, sprang into the air, and fell 
upon his face, shot through the heart. 

The other Indian remained motionless, 
making no effort to avenge his companion's 
death. The fire was going down, and it would 
soon be too dark to see anything, and the hunter 
felt that whatever was done must be done at 
once. He could not venture to move an inch 
from his present position, which was becoming 



194 



PIONEER DAYS 



tiresome, for such a course would draw upon him 
the fire of the Indian. The woman had exhib- 
ited so much nerve that he, for a moment, 
thought of sending her with the remaining 
rifle to go around to the back of the tree and 
drive the savage away, or shoot him; but he 
reflected that the Indian, rather than die by the 
hand of a woman, would probably kill her, 
preferring to fall by the hunter's hand, and 
not even to save his own life would Lewis Wetzel 
peril the safety of another. In a few minutes his 
ingenious brain contrived a plan which he 
determined to put into execution, and he bade 
the woman take her child and withdraw to 
one side. 

This done, he drew the ramrod from his gun 
and, taking off his bear-skin cap, placed it on 
top of the rod, and held it out cautiously a 
little way beyond the tree. His intention was 
to make the Indian believe that, in trying to 
get a better look at him, he had incautiously 
exposed himself, and thus draw the fellow's 
fire. The ruse had the desired effect. Wetzel 
had hardly exposed the cap when the savage 
fired, and a ball struck the bear-skin in the 
centre, cutting a hole clear through it. With 



RC 10.5 



LEWIS WETZEL'S SCOUT 195 



a yell of triumph the Indian sprang from be- 
hind the tree, and rushed forward to secure 
the scalp of his supposed victim, but the next 
moment Wetzel fired in his turn, and sent the 
fellow to join his comrades in the happy hunt- 
ing-grounds. 

The hunter and his friends were now out of 
danger, but Wetzel had no idea of remaining 
where he was. It was not improbable that 
the Indians who were absent would return in 
the morning, and would pursue them, and it 
was necessary to get as far ahead of them as 
possible. Then he secured the ammunition of 
the savages, and examining their rifles and find- 
ing them of an excellent quality, he took two 
himself, and giving one to the woman he had 
rescued, after carefully loading them, he broke 
the fourth over a tree, having no means of 
carrying it away. Then, carefully covering 
up the glowing embers so that they would 
give the smallest possible amount of light, 
and thus give the other Indians, should they 
return^ during the darkness, some trouble in 
finding the place, he prepared to depart with 
his friends. They set off rapidly, for, though 
both were very much fatigued by their long 



196 



PIONEER DAYS 



march of the previous day, the success of the 
attack upon the savages, and the necessity of 
reaching a place of safety as soon as possible, 
gave them fresh vigor. The three rifles which 
the hunter carried made his load heavy, but 
as the weapons were very valuable he deter- 
mined not to abandon his prizes. 

They travelled all that night and the next 
morning, and by noon, when thoroughly worn 
out, reached the Ohio River, a little above 
Wheeling. Here they were fortunate enough 
to find a man with a canoe, who was just re- 
turning to the settlement from a hunting expe- 
dition. He took them in his boat, and in a 
short while they were safe within the walls of 
Fort Henry. 

Wetzel said, and said truly, that it was 
the best day's work he had ever done, and 
that he doubted if any man on the frontier 
could beat it. He was right; for, in all his 
campaigns, he never before nor after had the 
fortune to slay six Indians in one day. 

The woman and the child he had rescued 
found friends in the garrison, and it was not 
long before the former became the wife of one 
of the settlers. 



